Her Back to the Wall
by Raiast
Summary: During a mission for the Order, Ginny is discovered and held captive at Malfoy Manor. What becomes of her life when her torturer refuses to things go back to normal? Kinda gettin into AU.
1. Caged

"Are you scared?"

"No," she lied, letting passiveness cloud her eyes and chalking up her body's trembling to the cold. The dungeon was rather cold.

"Liar," he would have smiled, were he capable of it. Any trace of his smirk transformed to a disdainful sneer. "I can smell it," he stated.

She wanted to bite her lip, her usual action when caught lying, but the captive knew it was a sign of weakness and fear, and so she fought the urge.

"You've never been more terrified," he continued. Taking two steps closer he ceased twirling his weapon idly and, aiming it at the redhead before him, commanded: "Admit it."

"Terrified," she mimicked quietly, pulling her eyes away from the enemy's wand back to his face, his eyes, his smile. His smile.

He smiled as he took yet another step towards her, and the expression gave him a mad, crazed look, as if he were a raving lunatic that knew something she didn't.

He smiled as he gripped his wand firmer, aimed it harder, and hissed a spell she was never able to hear.

That was when the pain began.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

480 minutes. 28,800 seconds. Eight days. Ginny Weasley had been kept prisoner in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor for eight days now. Yes, dungeons. The Malfoy's had dungeons, hidden away in their castle of a home. Ginny thought that modern civilization had discontinued the use of dungeons hundreds of years ago. Perhaps that was true, except for the occasional snoop caught within the walls of the mansion, but Ginny had a growing suspicion that Lucius Malfoy especially, still walked the dimly-lit passages and shoved unlucky, unsuspecting victims into the damp cells quite regularly. She heard their cries.

Late at night, early in the morning, sometimes even in the middle of the day, she could hear them crying, calling for help, praying to God to be killed during their next session of torture, anything to release them from their pain. It was almost constant, and always audible, sometimes so faint one would have to strain their ears and concentrate in order to understand what the others were saying, and sometimes so loud and near Ginny had to clamp her hands over her ears and squeeze her eyes shut and hum, sing, or scream herself to rid her brain of the intangible horrors of the words they screamed. She never yelled for help herself, knowing it was fully futile a gesture, and never answered the calls of the others.

She never talked aloud to herself, never muttered, never let tears escape her eyes nor allow cries escape her lips when it was possible. Never did she make a sound, unless he was talking to her, when she would find the shortest possible answer to satisfy the question he asked. Those were the rules. Don't cry, don't scream, don't speak unless spoken to. Ginny's rules.

Had he known of her rules things would have been far more difficult. He neither urged nor cared if she spoke to him, unless he wanted the answer, but he waited on the moment when he could hear her cry and scream and beg him to end her pain. Had he known of her rules he would have used even more terrible methods of torture, more painful and hideous curses to urge the cries out of her. But he didn't know. Ginny wouldn't let him know. She knew better.

She began making the marks when she first awoke in the cold cell, scratching a mark on the damp concrete with the bone from some dead animal, probably a mouse. She made a mark whenever she was fed, meager amounts of cheese and bread, and a bowl of lukewarm water. There was a window in her room, small and barred but allowing enough light in to fill the small cage she lived in. She knew it was a magical window, such as those in the Ministry of Magic atrium, so she could never be sure if it was night or day. For all Ginny knew her cell could have been full of gloomy sunlight at two o'clock in the morning. It was impossible to tell. Perhaps the others thought they were real windows, leading to the outside; the grass, the sun, and the breathtaking sense of freedom received from the outside world. Maybe that was why they screamed. Or maybe they were receiving worse treatment than her. Ginny had never thought to ask. That would involve speaking to him.

Her torturer. Her source of pain and, though she hated to admit it, fear. The terrible and dreadful things of the world wrapped up into one tall, pale, blonde-haired boy that was called Draco Malfoy. How she despised him. She wanted to kick him, hard, in the stomach, the face, anything that would put him in pain. She longed to grab at his wand, but then what? She could neither use it (he had claimed previously to have protected it with ancient spells) nor fend him off physically when she attempted her little trick, so what could she do? Stab him through the chest; impale him with the damned piece of wood, anything to cause him as much pain as he had caused her. She knew it would never happen.

She sat in silence; making no move even when she heard the spell chanted and the lock in the door turn over with a resounding clunk. She focused her eyes on a solitary brick where a horrible faded maroon stain marred the dismal gray. She didn't make an effort to turn from him as he strode up to her, nor when he took her chin and forced her head to face him, but she allowed herself to close her eyes in pain, and allowed her soul to hurt a little more when he uttered:

"Well aren't you a sight. I think we better hold off with the torture for awhile."

Ginny forced her eyes to focus and looked into his own.

"Nah," he shook his head, smirking still. "What would be the fun in that? Hmm?" he continued still, waiting for his rhetorical question to be responded to.

"I don't know," Ginny stated firmly.

He smirked greater still. "I think you do."

He left her side and moved to the fake window, displaying gloomy clouds over a deserted field. "I think you do," he repeated softly.

"Perhaps I do, what are you going to do about it?" the words were in the air before Ginny could even think to hold them in, and she felt more than heard Malfoy stiffen and turn to face her slowly.

Ginny glanced to him and found he was raising a hand to his ear. "Hark, what's this? Is the defenseless prisoner challenging me?"

She closed her eyes, but his laugh surrounded her, filling the room and pounding itself into her ears. When she looked to him again she found laughter only in his eyes, and he had crouched in front of her without making a sound.

He took her chin tightly in his hand, their faces inches apart. "Do not challenge me," he warned her quietly. "You will get hurt."

"I thought that's what you wanted," Ginny again let her mouth run off without her brain, and waiting in heavy silence she held her breath.

His stony face first smirked, then sneered. "You have no idea what I want."

The statement held so much potential and suggestion that it sent shivers up and down Ginny's spine. She closed her eyes and saw things she didn't want to see. She opened them again and saw Malfoy before her, staring through her eyes.

He stood and walked over to the window once more. "You wanna know what I think, Weasley?"

She knew she wasn't meant to answer, but she wanted more than anything to just piss the boy off, and damn the consequences. Maybe he would just get sick of her. "Yes, Malfoy. I'm dying to know exactly what's on your mind."

He turned to her for the third time, with a different expression covering his features; one Ginny had never seen him wear. He ignored his own question and took a seat next to Ginny, pulling out his wand as he did so.

"You know something, Weasley? You're absolutely incredible," he spun the wand around and twisted it in his fingers.

Ginny didn't respond, letting the strange compliment float in the air by itself. It didn't have to wait long for company.

"You understand what I'm saying?" Again Ginny didn't answer, so he continued. "You are trapped here, in my dungeon, and have been for days. You've been beaten, tortured with some of the worst curses I've learned and deprived of food and water so much you shouldn't be conscious right now. Any other person would have begged me for death three days in. Any other person would to keep their mouth," he grabbed her chin fiercely and pulled her towards him with so much force that she nearly toppled into him, "shut," silence filled the room once more as he stared hard into her eyes. "You aren't like anyone else. It takes some curses that I've been reluctant to try to get you to cry out. Absolutely incredible," he breathed the last part to himself, releasing her to toy again with his weapon.

He shook his head in disbelief in the silence, which Ginny broke a minute later.

"What would you do if I had your wand?"

He paused in spinning the object in question and glanced to her.

"Would you let me go? Fight me to get it back? What would you do if I were the one with the power?"

He straightened up and took an audible breath—and held the wand over to her.

Ginny stared at it, glanced at Malfoy, and back to the wand.

"Take it," he moved it towards her more, open palmed, and continued to wave it in front of her until she took the cool ash wood into her own hand.

He moved in front of her to face her better, on his knees and spread his arms out, opening a direct shot to his chest.

"Anything. Go on. Try it out," he glanced at the wand and stared her in the eyes and, smirking, added: "I dare you."

Ginny looked at him warily and, testing his confidence, stuttered out the only thing she could think, "S-stupefy!"

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

When Ginny awoke next she was lying on the floor, Malfoy's arms pillars on either side of her, and his smirking face hanging over her. "I told you, didn't I? Why would I lie? I told you there were spells protecting my wand from use by anyone but me. You just had to try though. Such like a Weasley. Just _had _to test your limits and look what happened—you knocked yourself out," he shook his head, "Incredible."

Ginny attempted to sit, but one of Malfoy's arms pinned her down once more. "And _now _you can't move," he laughed.

"I can make you move," Ginny breathed.

"How's that? You may be better in Quidditch but don't think that I don't have the superior strength."

"You seem to not notice that my knee is placed conveniently between your legs, Malfoy."

He gave a short laugh. "Don't make it sound so dirty."

"Ugh," Ginny winced at the thought he'd imprinted into her mind. "Uck."

"Does something about me disgust you, Weasley?" he whispered down next to her ear, his lips lightly brushing against her cheek.

She made the same gesture, and after a minute breathed softly: "Only everything."

He moved swiftly then, into his original seat, his usual smirk crossing his mouth, "See what I mean? I had you pinned, you couldn't move. I could have done anything--," he gave an example as Ginny sat and scooted a foot or so from him, "—I could have strangled you dead in less than a minute, and still with the remarks. Sometimes it seems as though you aren't afraid to be tortured."

Ginny stared at her shoes, replying softly, "Maybe I'm not."

Just as swiftly and quickly he was standing in front of her again, wand in hand, this time as a weapon. "I don't think that's true."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Eleven days. Eleven days she had been locked away. Eleven days of torture, both physical and mental. It was on the eleventh day that he sat by her again, in silence.

When Ginny asked why he was there he replied shortly: "Don't talk to me."

When Ginny stated that maybe he should go somewhere else if he didn't want to be bothered he merely glared at her and asked if another round of the Cruciatus curse would shut her up.

Not feeling up to the consequences of smarting off, Ginny shut up.

It was perhaps twenty or so minutes of silence later when Ginny hugged her knees and buried her head.

She closed her eyes and saw her mum, dad, brothers, Harry, Hermione, Hogwarts; she took a shuddering breath and saw the feasts of Hogwarts before her, felt the soft grass between her fingers and the cold water encompassing her feet. She saw her dorm, she saw herself, felt herself, flying around the Quidditch pitch, practicing with the team. She put her head back against the wall and felt then warm tears running down her cheeks.

She felt Malfoy look at her.

She didn't want to cry, but she felt herself breaking down. She didn't want to cry, tried to force herself to stop, especially since _he _was there. She thought of her rule and how she had broken it and felt herself sink deeper in sorrow and despair and felt herself cry out that emotion as well.

And she still felt him looking at her.

She wiped her eyes and took slow, deep breaths until she regained control once more, and it was only after she had calmed down that she felt him holding her. It was after she brought herself back to the manor, back to the dungeons, back to this cell that she realized that Malfoy had her in his arms, and was almost half-heartedly trying to comfort her. When he realized that she realized this, he released her and stared at the same blood-soaked brick.

Another tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away while bundling up the courage to ask: "Are you ever going to let me go?"

She could barely breathe as he slowly looked from the brick, to the floor, to Ginny's face. "Yes," he answered.

She exhaled heavily and took another filling breath, "When?" the word fell out painfully, full of sorrow and disbelief.

"Tonight."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Hours later, they had sat in silence the rest of the time, Malfoy stood and walked to the door. He chanted the unlocking spell, and pulled the key from a pocket in his robes. When the door stood open, he reached again into his robes and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak and in it, Ginny's wand. He held them loosely at his side.

Ginny rose slowly and walked towards him. His body still blocked the door. She reached out her hand to take the items. Malfoy neither pulled them away nor released them to her. He simply stood there, blocking the exit and sharing possession of the cloak and wand, staring into her eyes.

Without a word, he leaned down to her and captured her mouth in a short kiss; a passionate kiss that apologized and thanked her, and still held absolutely no emotion or meaning at all, much like the boy that was doing the kissing. When he pulled away he also pulled his hand away, turned, and started off down the dark hallway silently.

Pulling the cloak around her and pocketing her wand, Ginny followed quickly, towards the exit of his mansion.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Kind of have a thought of where it's going, but not entirely sure, so don't be upset with me if I don't continue, or take awhile to do so.


	2. Life Less Ordinary

"_Exsorbeo aspiro."_

Ginny was hit with the sensation once more that all of the air in her lungs was being sucked out of her body.

She struggled to fill her lungs with its needed oxygen, and managed to only for it to be knocked out of her grasp a second time.

"Hrr em hrumph!" her face was being squashed into the mass of bodies, and she could neither speak.

"Hrr em _hrumph_!" she repeated with more intensity and demand, and the sobbing blob relinquished her hold by a small margin.

"Mum!" Ginny gasped for breath, pushing back her father and brothers. "Ah! Just let me breathe!"

They sat in silence for a moment, but when Ginny locked eyes with her mother tears instantly sprang up and she lunged for her safe daughter once again.

"You have to understand, honey! Twenty-three days you were gone! Twenty-three! Do you know what goes on in a mother's mind when her child is missing for twenty-three minutes!"

"Twenty-three?" Ginny questioned, confused. She closed her eyes and saw her eleven primitive marks on the walls, one for every time she was fed. _They only fed me every other day! _"Cheap bastards," she breathed.

"Yes!" her mother continued. "Twenty-three!"

Ginny's stomach sank. _I_ _missed my birthday…I'm fifteen…and I missed it…I was probably tortured on my birthday…_ "Twenty-three…" she repeated softly.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

She returned to her room hours later, astonished to find it exactly the way she had left it: Clothes hanging out of her dresser and littering her floor, books and parchment from unfinished homework spread across her desk, half-drunken bottles of Butterbeer and water glasses left water-rings on her nightstand and desk.

She collapsed on her bed, kicking off the dirty clothes, and rolled over to find two official looking envelopes decorating her pillow.

They were both from Hogwarts. She knew one at least contained her list of required materials, and so she held off on opening it and started on the other.

It was a personal message to her, signed by both Dumbledore and McGonagall. Ginny read the letter and reread it twice, letting it sink in sentence by sentence.

She walked down to the kitchen, where Hermione and her mother were busy cooking supper, and threw the letter on her mother's chopping board in a fury.

It read:

_Miss Ginerva Weasley:_

_It has come to our attention that you are having trouble mastering the art of Potions. We therefore have decided to assign you a tutor, in hopes that you will conquer your "learning disability", as your Professor so kindly puts it, and will rise to the level we know you are capable of achieving. _

It was then stamped with an official looking seal beneath the signatures of the Headmaster and Head of her house.

"Tutor? 'Learning disability'!" her mother muttered to herself as she too reread the letter. She threw Ginny a deadly look. "You know what happens when you fail out of classes, young lady!"

"Mum, I haven't failed yet! I'm just having trouble—"

"A tutor?" Hermione repeated, reading over Molly Weasley's shoulder. "At least you don't have to take remedial lessons with Snape," she pointed out.

"Learning disability!" Ginny fumed. "The only thing that disables me in that class is Snape!"

"You better get those Potions marks up, Ginny," her father lectured at supper.

"You can't blame her, dad. Snape's a tyrant!" Ron jumped in to Ginny's defense. Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Oh she'll get the marks up," Molly stated as-a-matter-of-factly, "or her Head of House will be receiving a letter informing her that Ginny is to no longer attend Hogsmeade weekends."

Ginny cringed. What kind of lame tutor where they going to stick her with anyways?

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

She stepped foot on the train and nearly burst into tears. She followed her brother, Harry and Hermione to a compartment near the end of the train, carting all her crap along, and sank into the old, familiar seats. They sat in silence, no one saying anything about Ginny's capture, nor anything to do with the Order. They didn't say anything, and after awhile the silence became unbearable and Ginny excused herself to the bathroom.

They had been traveling nearly twenty minutes, but the passage was still full of students, all being jostled about as they made their way to their destinations. Ginny had to stop twice to help some poor first year up after the trained had shaken and caused them to lose their balance.

She reached the bathroom only to find it already occupied, so she leaned next to the door and watched the bodies disappear into random compartments. Quicker than she could realize, the passage was empty and eerily silent. Ginny had just spent nearly twenty-three days in silence; she stared at the floor and let her thoughts fill the stillness. Not long after she began to daydream, the toilet was flushed, water was run, and the door to the loo was opened.

She tried to squeeze by the occupant as they squeezed out and found herself pressed face to face with Draco Malfoy. She reluctantly looked him in the eye, but said nothing.

He froze; Ginny felt his body go rigid. She remembered the horrific spells he'd used on her. She felt him slamming her against the stone wall and slapping her when she made the mistake of insulting him. She heard his voice; harsh and angry, deceitful and proud, and soft and calming as he tried to comfort her. She felt him holding her as she finally lost control. She longed to yell at him, to sling harmful, hurtful words to him. She wanted to ask him how he could torture her in such a way and then simply just let her go. She was begging her foolish mind not to ask him what exactly his kiss had meant—but more than anything she wanted to have a conversation with him, and this completely baffled her.

All of the words that she thought for the past four days were launched to the tip of her tongue and her lips, so many words, in fact, that Ginny feared what was about to come out would make absolutely no sense, but be composed of random nouns, adjectives and adverbs. Instead she simply spoke: "Hi."

"Hi," he replied smoothly. He moved in such a way that before Ginny knew it she was in the bathroom and he was standing in the hallway, but neither of them moved.

They both opened their mouths to speak.

"I—"

"Listen—"

They stopped, staring at each other for a moment before trying again.

"About—"

"When y—"

Silence.

Malfoy made a gesture that Ginny could only assume meant for her to speak first.

"W—why am I here..?"

Malfoy looked past Ginny into the bathroom and quirked an eyebrow, "Sounds like a personal problem to me."

"Wha-? Oh," Ginny's cheeks tinged red, "no, um I meant…why am I not…there…?" she finished dumbly.

"I know what you meant," Malfoy stated bluntly. "I had work to do."

Ginny cocked her head to the side, "So you stopped torturing me because you had homework to do?" she confirmed, confused.

Malfoy nodded. He was making to walk away when Ginny questioned: "Oh, uh, what were you going to say?"

Malfoy, taken almost off guard by this, fumbled for words, "Uh, I uh-" he cleared his throat, "just seeing how you were adapting to outside life," he finished coolly.

Ginny's jaw dropped and she grabbed Malfoy's sleeve as he began to turn around once more. "How can you put all of that behind you as if it's nothing!" she hissed incredulously.

"Judging from the way you're acting towards me it seems that you already have."

He had the perfect ability to leave Ginny speechless. He knew it, and he used it at any point in time possible.

Ginny opened her mouth, found no words, closed it, and opened it again. "I-"

"You," Malfoy stated.

Ginny became flustered. "I don't-"

Malfoy leaned forward and indicated that he was waiting for her response.

"What was that kiss all about?"

_Now it's your turn to not know what to say! _Ginny thought fiercely.

He shrugged and raised his hands, "Just saying goodbye."

"I see," Ginny nodded, "so do you bid farewell to all of your captives like that?"

"Only the cute ones," he grinned devilishly.

Down the hall, a compartment door slammed open and Hermione fell out laughing hysterically.

Ginny and Malfoy looked to Hermione and back to each other. Malfoy began moving for the door to the next car. "I can't stop thinking about it, you know. How you kissed me back…" he trailed off fiendishly, causing Ginny to flush at the suggestion of the moment.

She smirked and scowled all at once, and replied coolly: "Sounds like a personal problem to me."

Malfoy chuckled at her ridicule. Ginny glanced down to the end of the train where Hermione stood frozen in her tracks. "Shit," she breathed. She glanced back to where Malfoy had stood, but saw only the door that separated the last two cars sliding shut.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Three days into the school year, at the end of her first Potions class, Snape stopped Ginny and informed her that her tutor will be meeting her in the library after supper.

"Who do you think it is?" Hermione asked her during supper when Ginny fumed about giving up time for all of her other homework.

"Knowing that Snape assigned them, I can't even imagine," Ginny huffed and threw potatoes on her plate with such intensity that bits of it flew to her surrounding neighbors' plates.

She left the table reluctantly ten minutes later. "I might as well start on my essay, so I don't look like I'm slacking," she sighed.

Half an hour later Ginny sat at a table in the library, in front of her Potions book and a half a foot of blank parchment. Getting irritated at her lack of tutor, Ginny began tapping her quill against the table and humming.

"You didn't have to wait for me to start," a boy sat down across the table from her as he pointed this out.

"I don't know what to write," Ginny replied shortly. One glance at him and she knew: Slytherin. She sighed and breathed, "Snape is so cruel."

"What's the essay on?"

"The importance of porcupine quills in potions."

"Then right about porcupine quills," he stated.

Ginny threw him a dirty look. "What kind of tutor are you, anyways?"

"I'm not a tutor," the Slytherin grinned. "It was this or four months of detention."

"What on earth could you do three days into the school year to get yourself four months detention!" Ginny exclaimed.

The boy closed his eyes in a dreamy way and smiled. "It's not really important…"

Ginny shifted uneasily and opened her book. She had been writing not three minutes when her tutor stopped her quill and took the paper.

"Rubbish," he announced after a few seconds.

"What?"

"It's rubbish. Rewrite it."

"No!"

"Then get a bad mark, I don't care. Snape just said I had to tutor you, he didn't say you had to get better."

Ginny glared at the boy. "Mind telling me exactly what's wrong with it?"

"What is this?" He inquired, pointing to Ginny's textbook.

Ginny was taken aback with this seemingly dumb question. "A book."

He pointed to her. "What are you?"

"A—a girl…?"

He nodded once. "Book. Girl. Book. Girl," he labeled, pointing at each in turn. "Why talk like a book if you're a girl?"

Ginny turned her narrowed eyes from him to her essay, and then to her book, noting that she had done nothing but copy the list of uses of the quills. "Oh."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Firstly, you're using your textbook. Go get some real Potions books," he pointed to the row of bookshelves. "Snape has read this book a thousand times. He's going to read to words of your essay and throw it aside."

Ginny gave a heavy sigh and pushed back her chair, heading over to the section where the books of potions were.

She was gone only a minute before the doors to the library swung open and Malfoy stepped in. Spotting his chum, he made a detour to the table.

"Hey, mate, fancy seeing you here."

The tutor frowned. "I'm tutoring."

"You? Tutoring?" Malfoy laughed. "Oh," he realized, "so _that's _how you got out of detention."

His friend nodded.

"You're in my seat," Malfoy looked up to find a book-laden Ginny glaring at him.

He smirked, getting up. "So _you're _the bloke unfortunate enough to get Zabini as a tutor."

"You can hardly call him that," Ginny furrowed her brow, replacing her book with those she had just taken from the shelves.

Malfoy laughed, and the boy called Zabini frowned. "I'm not _that _bad," he defended himself.

"Oh please!" Malfoy scowled. "Crabbe and Goyle are catching up to you!"

"That asshole!" Ginny exclaimed, slamming her fists to the table.

"Shh!" The three looked over to the counter, where Madame Pince was shushing and giving Ginny a death look.

"Watch your mouth," Malfoy scolded.

Ginny stood. "Watch yours getting pummeled by my fist," she warned, making a fist.

Malfoy and Zabini laughed. "That's good, kid. Keep thinking that's enough to pay me back," Malfoy glanced to his friend, who in turned smirked.

Malfoy smirked at Ginny, who in turn flushed and sat down huffily, slamming open the first book on the stack.

"Oh, now she's all huffy," Malfoy noted sympathetically.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to work," Ginny glared at him, and Malfoy raised his hands.

"Just saying hi to my friend."

"Like you have any," Ginny muttered angrily, producing a chuckle from her tutor.

"This girl is vicious," he stated. "You're lucky she didn't have _her _wand. Ow!" he exclaimed. Jerking backwards, he glowered at Ginny, who was staring at the same spot on her page with a small smile on her face. "She kicked me!"

Malfoy chuckled. "Have fun, Blaise. I suppose I'll see you around later, Weasley."

"Only if my bad luck continues," she muttered, scribbling a sentence on her new sheet of parchment.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Well that's the end of the second installment. Review and tell me how I'm doing, I beg of you! I'm gonna start on the next chapter right away!


	3. Hypnotize

"Ginny you look terrible," Hermione whispered three weeks later in the library.

"I know," Ginny replied, rubbing her temples as a headache onset. "I can't sleep well."

"What's wrong with you?"

"We don't have much time to talk, but it's really important so please just listen."

Hermione frowned, concerned about her friend's mind.

"I've been having dreams," she started.

"Ginny—"

"No, just listen!" Ginny interrupted. She glanced around, making sure that the secluded table had the privacy that she needed. "I can't stop. I dream about it every night, there's something wrong; it's all I think about."

Draco Malfoy paged through the books in the next aisle silently, only half-interested in what he was looking for.

"Every night, I'm there, in the dungeons. Every night, Hermione! I dream about it _every night_!"

"Ginny it's understandable that you're having nightmares, but you can just see Madame Pomphrey for a potion to—"

"I don't want a potion!" Ginny exclaimed louder than she wanted to, and she instinctively froze, shooting paranoid looks in all directions. She waited nearly two minutes to continue. When she did, her voice was just above a whisper. "I don't want a potion," she repeated softly. "I want answers."

"I don't know what you mean, Ginny."

"I don't know what I mean," she mumbled dazedly. "Hermione, you have no idea what happened to me there."

Malfoy stopped pretending to be interested in his book at all and leaned towards them to make out Ginny's words.

"You have no idea," she repeated. "The spells, Hermione, the spells he used. The curses and the spells—I experienced things so terrible it made the Cruciatus Curse feel like an irritating Charlie-horse. Things so horrific, you wouldn't even be able to imagine," Ginny leaned forward towards Hermione, whose eyes and grown large. It was the first time Ginny spoke a word about her capture.

"Curses so terrifying, you would wonder why the Unforgivables aren't taught here. Things that made me want to beg for the next spell to kill me. Horrific. No idea," Ginny closed her eyes and shuddered then.

Hermione's eyes were shining with fear. "Ginny, you're scaring me."

"I'm scaring me. The thoughts I'm having. I know I shouldn't be having them," she informed the girl across from her. "Thoughts…not right thoughts, that's what they are; bad thoughts."

"Like what, Ginny?" Hermione asked soothingly.

"What—" Ginny cleared her throat. "What if we're wrong?"

"Wrong about what?"

"Everything," Ginny breathed. "Anything and everything. About the war, about fighting them. You weren't there," she shook her head at Hermione's argumentative gesture, "no you weren't there and you don't know. You don't know yet. The things they can do. Just Malfoy! Just a kid, a sixteen year old kid, just him alone! And the others? They're _adults_; they've been doing it for _years_! And Malfoy, Malfoy is just as bad."

Aforementioned horrible person replaced the book he'd been holding in his hands for the past five minutes. He stalked slowly to the edge of the aisle, keeping himself hidden, but allowing himself to better hear the conversation.

"Ginny—"

"No. I want to know. How can we possibly compare to them?"

Hermione was left speechless, and the ringing of a bell caused her to jump. "Ginny I have to go."

"I know."

"We'll talk later."

"No we won't."

"Just…don't think about it for now."

"Impossible."

"Bye, Ginny," Hermione grabbed her book bag and headed for the exit, making her way to her next class. Ginny didn't make to leave, but laid her head on the table.

She wasn't startled by the hand on her shoulder.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

No one was in the Common Room when Ginny snuck out, which made sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower all the easier, but without the Invisibility Cloak traveling the corridors after curfew was a risky venture.

She made her way to the north tower quietly, and climbed the stairs as quickly as she could; she was already ten minutes late.

She stepped into the room at the top of the tower, only to have the door swing shut behind her. When she spun around, Malfoy was muttering a spell at the door.

It started in the exact center and spread out to the edges of the frame slowly; a growing purple mist.

He nodded to the spellbound door. "Touch it."

Ginny reached for the door hesitantly. She barely grazed the doorknob before a heavy pushing feeling sent her stumbling to the middle of the room. She had barely recovered from the shock of it before a tingling sensation filled her hand. Upon looking down, Ginny's heart beat faster and faster as she watched her flesh turn to gray concrete, starting from her hand, up her arm, over her shoulders—

Her former torturer stepped forward and reversed the spell promptly.

Ginny flexed her hand and arm and found the muscles uncomfortably sore. She scowled at the discomfort and looked at Malfoy in shock.

"I can teach you that," he stated simply.

Ginny stared at him silently.

"I can teach you anything you want," he added. "The things I did to you, the things I do for fun—things that amaze the Dark Lord himself."

Still, Ginny stood as silent as the concrete that her arm was made of a moment ago.

"You're on the right track. It wasn't my intention, but it worked out kind of perfectly," Malfoy circled around her as he talked. "The thoughts, they aren't bad; they're _right_. You aren't a sheep, not like your brother, and Granger, and even Potter. Potter isn't the leader, Dumbledore is. _He's _the one with the problem with the Dark Lord. _He's _the one that doesn't like his ideas, his plan. They're all sheep. Potter follows Dumbledore, they follow Potter; it's the blind leading the blind. Your eyes are opening," he had stopped in front of her, and reached his hand up to the skin next to her eyes. "You're finally seeing everything that's really around you."

Ginny, who had ceased breathing, took two small, quick breaths as Malfoy's hand came in contact with her. She closed her eyes. His voice was almost soothing; rich and ensuring and full of spectacular promises.

"They're going to say that you're betraying them," he informed her. Her eyes were still closed, and his voice spun around her dizzily, infiltrating her brain and giving her a euphoric, drunk feeling. "They're going to say that you're doing the wrong thing, that you don't know _what _you're doing, that it's not the right choice. But I think you know better than them, don't you? Don't you think _you_ know what's right for you?" He brainwashed her serenely.

Ginny nodded robotically, letting all thoughts flow from her brain; all the doubts, the nightmares, the memories, everything. It flew from her mind and went someplace far away. She enjoyed the wonderful feeling his words gave her. She enjoyed the emptiness in her head as it misted over.

"You're completely fit to make your own decisions. You can make the decision. It's all up to you, no pressure either way," his voice was unusually light, and carefree.

Ginny opened her eyes. Malfoy was standing in front of her once again. He looked at her with a blank, indifferent expression.

They stood in silence for what seemed many minutes before Ginny moved her eyes from the ground to Malfoy's eyes.

"Teach me."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

It was so perfect it was almost ridiculous, and Draco had to fight the laughter that flew to his throat many times. At different periods through his little speech, he could hear the laughter in his own voice; he could here the mocking of her in his words and the things he said were so absurd it was equally as ridiculous. He had been unsure at several moments in his dialogue, unsure of her reaction to his words, unsure of if they were the right words to use. As a Malfoy, uncertainness was weakness, and he found the hesitant feeling irritating, as it had never been an issue before.

One look at her, however, and his confidence flowed back to him swiftly; one look at her, and he could see by the look on her face that she was eating directly from his palm, and any qualms he had about his speech disseminated immediately. She shouldn't have looked so peaceful; with her eyes closed and the serene expression written all over her face he knew he had succeeded in his mission; even before she answered him he knew.

Innocents were so easy.

It was so incredibly perfect.

The Dark Lord would be so pleased to have someone so close to Potter and the Order, and those not even realizing it made his plan all the more practical and genius. Draco felt a surge of gluttony course through him, and though he successfully concealed it from the youngest Weasley, he couldn't easily hide it from himself. Gluttony was a sin, he realized. Greed was a terrible, primitive emotion, something he, as a Malfoy, should easily have overcome, but he couldn't. He thought of the praise and rewards that he would receive from his Master when he presented his plan to him, and the emotion coursed through him thicker than the blood that coursed through his veins.

_It's okay to want—a little bit. _He reasoned with himself, giving himself a mental pat on the back for his excellent, deceptive work. _It's okay to want sometimes._

He wished to turn her quickly, and present her as soon as possible, if only to just piss off the famous Harry Potter. But again, his Malfoy intuition reasoned with him: _Not at the moment. Not yet. Don't think only about hurting Potter, think larger._ So much larger. But the eagerness to do nothing but spite Potter surged through him stronger than the greed, and he had to hold himself back from starting with the girl right away. _Soon._ He told himself. _Soon._

It was so perfect it was almost ridiculous, and when he dismissed Ginny Weasley and found himself alone in the tower once again, he let out the malicious laughter he had been containing for the past twenty minutes.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

It was only after her friend had nearly sat on a third year, dipped bacon in her orange juice instead of syrup, and clumsily sent her brother's glass toppling to the ground did Hermione decided to confront Ginny about their conversation the previous day.

"Ginny, are you feeling alright?"

Ginny looked at Hermione, startled, "Yeah, yeah, I'm great."

Hermione scowled at the obvious lie, "You don't seem great," the dark circles that had encompassed Ginny's eyes the previous day had grown, and she looked even worse for the wear.

"I didn't get much sleep," Ginny yawned.

Hermione pursed her lips and nodded, "I see," she replied. Then, leaning closer to Ginny she whispered as quietly as she could, "Nightmares?"

Ginny swallowed the food in her mouth and denied the suggestion far too quickly for Hermione to want to believe her.

"Feeling better about…what we talked about yesterday?"

"Much," Ginny answered, "but I should go," she evaded, after glancing to her watch, "My tutor and I decided to meet after breakfast on weekends, just so we don't have to dread it all afternoon," she gave a small smile at the insult to herself and Blaise Zabini, stood up and left.

Hermione followed Ginny with her eyes, and then glanced across the hall to the Slytherin table to see two things: Blaise Zabini heading over to the doors, Ginny's tutor, she knew; and Draco Malfoy's eyes on the doors to the Great Hall as Ginny passed through them, wearing a terribly suspicious smirk.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"…Harry…"

The boy addressed looked up from his six foot long roll of parchment, on which he had been scribbling furiously, and cocked his head at his friend's strange tone.

"I need to talk to you, Harry," Hermione's brow was as furrowed as he had ever seen it, and she wore a desperate, hesitant look on her face, as if she were fighting whether or not to speak.

"Sure…" Harry looked around at the Common Room which, although it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, contained many Gryffindors, "I suppose not here?" he questioned.

Hermione nodded and stood; Harry followed her out the portrait. They were two corridors away before Hermione began:

"It's about Ginny," she stated, releasing a heavy breath, as though the three words contained all of the horridness of Pandora's Box.

"What about her?"

"I'm…worried about her. She's…not been so well lately," Hermione chose her words slowly and carefully.

"Well that's to be expected anyways? I mean those brutes had her locked up for almost a month," it seemed to Hermione as though Harry was brushing the subject off.

_He doesn't want to talk about her…_Hermione realized. "It's not just that…I think something's going on with her…concerning Malfoy," she added in a low voice.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you mean?" His features had darkened slightly, and his voice held a dangerous tone.

"She came to me yesterday, dragged me into the library, actually, and started off on a crazy tangent. She said she's been having dreams about it which, I told her was normal, but then she said something that I didn't know how to respond to."

Harry was silent, waiting for Hermione to finish.

"She said she wasn't sure if we're right…something about them being more powerful then us and unsure about being on the right side."

Harry too, let out a heavy breath. "What do you think is going on?"

"She was acting completely different this morning. Yesterday she was jumpy, paranoid, like Moody incarnated. Today she's all calm and relaxed, but still hasn't been sleeping well. She said she didn't have any nightmares so I think—"

"Something happened last night," Harry finished for her slowly. "But what? I mean she can't be under the Imperious, we would know, wouldn't we?"

Hermione shook her head gravely, "Not if he commanded her to act completely herself except for—"

"Who she's supporting," Harry finished again. "Damn."

"I know."

"And this morning, when she was walking out of the Great Hall, I saw Malfoy watching her, smirking and looking all evil, like he was winning."

"Hey Harry, Hermione," a fifth year Gryffindor addressed them as they turned a corner. "Hey, maybe _you _know," she accused, pointing to Hermione.

"Know what?"

"Where Ginny was last night," the girl kept walking as she talked, but spun around and walked backwards in order to face them. "I woke up at about three to go to the bathroom and her bed was empty."

Hermione and Harry both shook their heads, indicating that no; they didn't know where Ginny had been the previous night. When Ginny's dorm mate had spun around once more, Harry and Hermione focuses their solemn gazes at each other.

Harry started walking, quickly, and Hermione had to jog to keep up. "Where are you going?" she panted.

"I'm going to get some answers," Harry's eyes were narrowed, and he wore a grimace that made him appear to be baring his teeth. "You should go back to the Common Room or something," it wasn't a suggestion. "Stay out of the way for a few hours; I'll deal with this."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny's tutor, Blaise Zabini, as she learned he was called, followed her out of the Great Hall and swiftly caught up to her on her way to the library.

"You look tired," it wasn't an indication, but more a knowing statement, and Zabini allowed a small smirk to cross his face.

"A bit," Ginny replied, unfazed.

"Maybe you should get to bed a bit sooner at night, eh?" He nudged her with his elbow. He actually _nudged_ her, with his _elbow_.

Ginny stopped, spinning around to face him. "Maybe _you _should keep to your own business," she sneered.

"Don't get so defensive," he raised his hands in a gesture of defeat. "Just saying."

Ginny let the subject drop and didn't speak to the Slytherin again until they were seated in the library at the same table she had taken Hermione to the day before.

"So what's the essay?" He questioned, lounging back in the chair and pulling a Chocolate Frog out of his pocket.

Ginny grimaced. "Four feet on aconite."

Zabini gave a disbelieving snort and asked what her class had possibly done to get such an assignment, and Ginny was about to launch into the story of how she had "accidentally" yet conveniently dropped her boiling confusing concoction near a bunch of Slytherin girls that had been making remarks about her hair and freckles all through class, when low and behold, Draco Malfoy appeared.

"Potter's always doing that isn't he, Blaise? Getting himself in trouble during Potions. It's all I can do to contain myself sometimes," he smirked at his pal, then to Ginny, who took the comment with a slight smile, but said nothing.

"How's the tutoring coming along, then?" He continued.

"Haven't started yet," Ginny informed him, "You wouldn't allow it."

"So sorry to interrupt, I'm sure you're just absolutely devastated to be distracted from your _Potions _homework," his statement was obviously sarcastic, but Ginny played it out farther.

"Who wouldn't be? I've just been bubbling ever since yesterday to get started on this _four freaking foot _essay!" She pronounced cheerily.

The three chuckled softly and silence filled the space around them. Sighing greatly, Ginny pulled a book forward and began flipping though the pages, ready to write something down at a moments notice.

"Remember to start out with a good intro," Ginny turned in her seat, and Zabini looked up and scowled.

"That's my job, mate!"

"Well was I just supposed to not say anything, I mean she just starting making a _list_," he pointed to her paper and Ginny, realizing this was true, growled impatiently and furiously scribbled out what she had just written down.

She heard footsteps moving away, and felt the irritating reading-over-the-shoulder sensation leave her, and concluded that Malfoy had gone and left them in peace.

A moment later, a book was placed in front of her, "This one is better," he stated. Ginny arose quickly and was about to tell Malfoy off, for he wasn't the one that was supposed to be tutoring her, when the doors to the library were quite literally thrown open.

The three turned their attention to the front of the library, where the doors slammed shut behind a quite irate looking Harry Potter.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

* * *

Soooo sorry that this took awhile. I started to read a really really REALLY great fanfic by DoubleCharms called 'The Sickness and the Cure' and it took me a couple days just to finish that, its quite addicting. Things such as school and work and _sleep _were getting in the way. I tell ya if there were more than 24 hours in a day, I would have had this up a year and a half ago. Hope that you like it cuz...I do...why don't you review with your suspicions/guesses as to what's going on/what's going to happen? 


	4. Hear You Me

_Oh no._ Ginny thought.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

_Here we go. _Blaise thought.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

_This will be interesting…_ Draco thought with a smirk.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Almost as if Harry could feel their eyes on him, he spun in the direction of the three and stalked to the back of the library.

Before Malfoy could even open his mouth to make any kind of sound, Harry had him pinned to the nearest bookshelf by his throat.

"Harry!" Ginny gasped at the boy's violent action.

"What did you do to her?" Harry growled fiercely to Malfoy, who gave a choking cough and smirked.

"I don't know what you're t-talking about," Draco stuttered out the last words as Harry's grip on his pale neck tightened.

"Now cut it out Harry, really! This is insane!" Ginny pulled feebly at Harry's arm, but he pushed her away gently with a shrug.

"What. Did. You. Do. To her?" Harry repeated, even more brutally than before. He leaned closer to Malfoy, so no one else could catch his words, "What was it? The Imperious? Is that it?"

Malfoy gave a quiet bark of laughter. "I already told you, I don't know what you're talking about. My friend happens to be tutoring her, I can't visit my friend?"

Even harder did Harry wring Malfoy's neck until the boy was paler than he had ever been in his life. "You have no right to be around her, _ever_."

Again, Malfoy laughed, and his mouth formed a sneer as cool wood was pressed to Harry's neck.

"Let go of him, bloke. I mean it," he added after Harry showed no signs of releasing Draco.

Reluctantly, Harry pushed Malfoy away from him. "You're up to something," Harry informed him.

"Maybe you should go, Harry," Harry paid no attention to Ginny.

"And I'm going to figure out what it is," he added.

Malfoy didn't raise a hand to his red, bruised neck until Harry was out of sight. When he had left, he rubbed it gingerly and nodded his thanks to Blaise before heading off in the other direction.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"No, don't—no! Not like that!"

"Well then show me again!" Ginny snapped.

Malfoy raised his wand and made a complicated and intricate swirling twist. Ginny stared at him blankly.

Draco Malfoy gave a heaving sigh and grabbed her wrist with more force than was necessary. When he had her attention, he mimicked the action with her hand. "Up, circle, down, point," he stated. "_Diffringo_ _dolui_," he chanted as he finished.

Ginny's eyes flew from her hand, to the pillow. But the pillow was no longer there. In it's place where a few smoldered feathers and a smoking hole in the floor.

"Wow."

Malfoy smirked at her amazement. "Glad I'm teaching you this?"

"Glad I'm not that pillow," Ginny corrected.

"What pillow?"

Ginny allowed a small smile to cross her lips. Why do I need to learn this anyways?"

"So you can fight," Malfoy stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Fight what?" Ginny laughed. "A raging flock of throw pillows?"

"The Order," The boy's voice was etched with annoyance at Ginny's stupid questions.

Ginny was aware that the air seemed to thin, and suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy. "Why would I fight the Order?" She questioned, turning to face him.

"Why would I train you if you weren't?" He questioned back.

Ginny took a step back numbly. "I'm not fighting my family, Malfoy," she felt her voice shaking, but it didn't seem that he had heard the quaver.

He took two steps forward, his face blank and serious. "I think you are," he stated.

Ginny took another step back and found the wall. Malfoy followed in tow, allowing her little room for movement. Ginny's eyes fluttered shut as she took a small, strengthening breath. She shouldn't be there, not trapped against this wall by him, it wasn't right, she felt weak. "Don't do this, Malfoy."

They were both aware of the plea in her voice. Draco brushed a strand of hair from her face lightly. "Do what?"

"This. Don't try to manipulate me into fighting my own. It's not that easy. I know it's the way things work in your house, but not everything you say comes true."

Ginny gave his chest a light push, but he didn't move. Not an inch. "Funny you put it that way, Weasley, because it just so happens, it does."

"Get away from me, Malfoy," Ginny warned softly.

"Say you'll do what I want you to," his warning tone matched her own, and Ginny almost shivered.

"I mean it."

"So do I."

Ginny shoved all of her weight into Malfoy, who stumbled back, laughing. He made to move to her again, but Ginny raised her wand. "_Diffringo_ _dolui_!" She yelled.

Smoke rose around Draco Malfoy, but when it cleared there he still stood, completely unharmed, smirking. "You didn't twist."

Ginny cursed silently.

"That wasn't very nice of you. Had you actually had some talent, that could have hurt my a lot," He moved towards her once again, and Ginny found resisting him pointless.

He stopped inches from her. "Now say you're sorry," he mocked, lifting her chin to face his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Are you ready to listen to me?"

"Are you going to talk much?" Ginny shot back defiantly.

"Depends on how fast you get the point."

Hoping he wouldn't talk long, Ginny nodded.

"Why wouldn't you fight the Order?" he questioned.

"It's my family," Ginny argued passively. "And my friends."

"You have no friends," Malfoy informed her. "You have no family. You have only yourself."

"That's not true," Ginny shook her head, narrowing her eyes at his incredulous statements.

"It is," he nodded. "Why do you think Potter gave up so easily? He doesn't really care about you. Had he cared about you he would have fought me for you. He _let _me have you."

"I'm not a possession."

Ginny's comment went unnoticed by Malfoy. "Do you think they care about you? Any of them? They don't even take you seriously. You weren't even supposed to go on that mission. Obvious enough, your skills were lacking," he paused for a second. "You _did _get caught," he added upon noticing her glare.

"They care about me. They love me," Ginny spoke the words, but her own voice sounded alien to her.

"Do they?"

"They tell me," she informed him. "All the time."

"That's what they want you to think. They don't love you. They know how powerful you could become, which is why they want you close; away from me."

Though they were both standing still, his voice spun around her was again, encasing her in cold words and harsh lessons.

"You think they care at all? Tell me, how long were you in my possession?"

Ginny was annoyed by the use of that word, but thought anyways. _Twenty three!_ Her mother's voice sounded hysterically in her head.

She cleared her throat. "Twenty three days."

"And, after those twenty three days passed, how did you get out of my dungeons?"

"You let me go," she answered reluctantly.

"Oh yes, I did," he faked realization. "So, in those twenty three days, where were those people you call your _family _and _friends_?" He asked the question and his words mocked her. Still she felt them swirling.

She looked away. "I don't know," she answered softly.

"Did any of them appear hurt when you got back?" Ginny shook her head. "Did any of them even _claim_ to have tried to help you, did they even have a plan?"

Her voice was small compared to his overpowering one. "They were just happy to see me. I didn't need an explanation."

"They didn't even offer you one."

Ginny felt warm tears spring to her eyes, and she blinked them back furiously. One fell as a cool hand touched her cheek. She looked up into Malfoy's silver eyes, which were swirling like his words. He held her face in his hands.

"It's hard, knowing the truth, isn't it?" His voice didn't even seem his own, though his words continued to sooth her. "Yes, you are just you. You have no family. No friends. But you have me."

Ginny looked questioningly at his ethereal gaze.

"You have me," he repeated. "Yes, I held you captive, and I hurt you; but when you asked me to I took you under my wing, and I will continue to teach you. You will show them how strong you are, and you _will_ do what I say." He emphasized this word by pushing her against the wall once again.

"Won't you?" he questioned.

Ginny nodded.

His cheek was pressed to hers, and his lips brushed her ear as he breathed: "Good answer."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Are you alright, Ginny?"

Ginny looked up from her essay. Who had spoken? Ginny looked around and found Hermione's concerned eyes.

"Fine."

"Are you sure?" she persisted, moving next to Ginny to ensure privacy.

Ginny contented in twirling her quill while reading over what she had written so far. Tense silence ensued for a moment before Ginny gave in and dropped her quill. "Why didn't you come for me?"

Hermione seemed taken aback by this. "What?"

"When I was…gone…why didn't you come for me?"

"Ginny we tried—"

"You didn't!" Ginny insisted quietly. "Had you tried and not succeeded it would mean that you had failed, and no one else had a scratch on them," Ginny stared coldly at Hermione, who was speechless.

"You didn't try," Ginny insisted, convincing herself as well as Hermione. She stood, closing her quill and parchment in the book she was using. "You didn't."

She turned then, and walked out of the Common Room before Hermione could even open her mouth to speak.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"I'm going to tutor you from now on," a quiet voice sounded behind her.

"Okay," Ginny answered nonchalantly.

"No questions?"

"You're a better tutor than Zabini anyways, why do I care?"

He sat down next to her. "Are you alright?"

Ginny heard concern in his voice, but it was laced with something she couldn't describe. She turned to them, still fighting back tears.

"They never came for me."

"I know."

"They didn't even _try_."

"I know," he whispered, and his hand was resting lightly on her shoulder. "But you're better than them anyways."

"I know."

"You don't need them, or their fake companionship."

"I know."

"You needed to be there. It opened your eyes. They're still blind."

Ginny nodded. His hand moved to hers, taking it in his cool grasp.

"You'll be amazing."

Ginny nodded again. "Yes," she agreed, locking gazes with him and exchanging a small smirk. "We will."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny had been waiting for more than an hour, and still Malfoy never showed up. She was contemplating just leaving when a commotion out in the hallway drew itself to her ears. She opened the door slightly; the seemingly solid wall in the hallway parted. She was just about to stick her head out to investigate when a mess of bodies fell into the secret room.

"Ow!"

"Woooh!"

"Aahahahahaha!"

"Ah! Hey!" The boys that had been rolling around on the floor looked up to Ginny, who stood intimidating similar to Mrs. Weasley.

Draco Malfoy pushed an arm off of him and stumbled to his feet. "Sorry I'm a little late," he slurred. He swayed back and forth, swinging an almost completely empty bottle of fire whiskey in his hand.

"You're drunk!" Ginny accused, pointing to the bottle, then to his unfocused eyes. Malfoy shook his head.

"Only a tad, sweetheart," he countered, taking two shaky steps forward. "But I'll be better after a tad bit o' sleep."

Blaise Zabini raised a hand and tugged on the booze. Malfoy must have had a good grasp on it, however, because he instantly fell on top of the two boys again.

"Ow!"

"'Ey bloke, save some o' that for me, mate!" the third boy exclaimed.

"It's mine anyhow!" Draco hissed, pulling the bottle for the greedy boys and cradling it grumpily.

Ginny seized the bottle from Malfoy and unscrewed the cap.

"Chug, chug!" Blaise cheered. Ginny emptied the little that was left into the garbage can, and, screwed the top back on, and tossed it back to Malfoy, who promptly unscrewed it and took a hearty swig.

"Wha--?" Ginny did a double take to the bottle. "Refilling charm," she sighed. "Okay, boys," she diverted their attention to her as she pulled the bottle from Malfoy's loose grasp. "That's enough, Zabini, uh-whoever you are," she pointed to the third person, "get back to your dorms."

"Wha' abou' Draco?" Blaise narrowed his eyes at his mate. "Wh' doen't 'e 'ave to go?"

"Because I'm going to take care of Draco myself, now get!" she directed a small kick in their direction, causing them to scatter clumsily.

When the boys had gone, Ginny rounded on Malfoy, who was half passed out, leaning against the couch. "You make me wait for nearly _two hours _and then have the nerve to show up with your _boys_? _DRUNK_?"

"I told you, I'm not drunk!"

"Like hell, you're not!" Ginny kicked him. "You can't even stand!"

Upon hearing this accusation, Malfoy stood quickly, swaying for a second before balancing himself. "Can too!"

Ginny sneered at him. "You're pathetic."

"Maybe," Draco agreed, taking a few steps toward her, backing her right into the wall. "But _you're _quite vulnerable."

Ginny didn't have the patience. "Get away from me," she warned, pushing him away. He stumbled backwards, but came towards her all the same.

"Make me," he hissed.

"Stop it, Malfoy, that's enough!" she slapped one of his wandering hands and pushed at him again. For being drunk, Malfoy still held his Seeker abilities, and caught her wrists swiftly, pushing them to the wall.

Ginny paused in fighting him, sighing. "I don't have time for this, I'm tired, Malfoy. It's three o'clock in the morning."

"Have a little drink, it'll perk you right up!" he released her wrists and pushed the bottle into her hands.

Ginny made a disgusted face. "I hate fire whiskey."

"You'll learn to love it!" Malfoy exclaimed cheerily. "See!" as a demonstration, Draco took a pull of the alcohol. He took a step backwards as he did so, lost his balance, and fell over clumsily, dropping the bottle as he did so.

Upon inspection Ginny found him out cold. "Moron," she sighed, vanishing the shattered glass and fire whiskey with a wave of her wand. She tossed a blanket over at him, covering his face and chest. "Eh," she grunted lazily, collapsing on the couch. "He'll move if he gets too cold."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Ehhhh…" A pitiful moaning sounded from under the blanket, and Ginny looked up from lacing her shoe.

"Ehhhhhhh…" it grew louder as Malfoy pushed the blanket off of his face and rolled on his side.

"You deserve to have a hangover," Ginny decided aloud. "After the way you acted last night."

"Shut up, Weasley," Malfoy growled, pushing himself to his feet.

Ginny's eyes widened. "You look horrible!" she gasped before she could stop herself.

Draco Malfoy gave her a patronizing look. "Try drinking a bottle and a half of fire whiskey and see how _you _feel the next morning."

"You're going to die during class today," Ginny informed him. He shuffled over to the now unoccupied couch and fell down.

"I would, if I were _going _to class."

"You can't skip classes. It's your own fault you got drunk, you didn't _have _to, you know."

Draco rested the nook of his elbow over his eyes and groaned. "Do me a favor, Weasley, and save the lecture."

"Ugh, pathetic."

"Perhaps."

Ginny glanced over to him. _But _you're _quite vulnerable…_ Ginny shivered, eyeing him suspiciously.

"'Ey, what did I do last night?"

Ginny gave a small laugh. "You mean _besides _making me wait here for two hours and showing up with your buddies drunk?" Ginny recalled his cool wandering hands. "Nothing that can't be fixed with a good kick in the shin."

"You're horrible."

Ginny smirked. "Perhaps. So do you _want _a cure for that hangover? Because I might know the trick."

Malfoy sat up quickly, glaring at her. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You didn't ask," Ginny pointed out innocently. She stepped over to him and placed her wand against one of his temples. "_Deliquesce acerbitas_!" she chanted.

Malfoy looked at her in amazement. "It worked!"

"I should hope so; I'd hate to see what would happen if I had gotten it wrong. Well…" she considered.

"Where did you learn that?"

Ginny snorted. "Try living with six boys all your life and _not _figuring out a spell to cure hangovers."

Malfoy smirked slightly. "You're alright, Weasley."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"This is so dumb!"

"I know! She can't just go off gallivanting around the castle at all hours!"

"She'll lose _all _of the points we've earned for Gryffindor, and then some!"

Hermione perked her ears towards the girls' conversation a few feet in front of them and gave a meaningful look to Harry.

"Hey!" he called to the three; they turned around. "Who are you talking about?"

"Ginny!" the girl that had confronted Hermione and Harry the week before exclaimed, as if it were obvious. "This time she didn't even bother coming back to the dorm!"

Hermione looked at Harry, who leaned closer to her. The three girls kept walking. "I thought you took care of Malfoy!" Hermione whispered accusingly.

"No! I told you, one of his friends was there, I couldn't talk to him. I have to get him alone!"

"This is ridiculous! While we're waiting, Ginny is off spending the night Merlin-knows-where with him!"

Harry snorted. Hermione glared at him. "What? Oh come on you don't _honestly_ think it's anything like that!" Harry rolled his eyes at his friend, but his stomach dropped at the thought of Ginny actually getting _involved _with Malfoy. "You think?"

"I don't know, Harry, I really don't," Hermione attempted to relieve his thoughts. "All I'm saying is that she's not going back to the dorm for a reason."

Harry stopped moving; Hermione paused. "Not coming in?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm not really hungry…anymore…I'm just gonna take a walk before class. It's fine. _Really_," he assured her as a look of concern and uncertainty passed over her face.

Harry walked away as Ron bounded up to the doors. "Where's he going?" he nodded to Harry.

Hermione cleared her face. "He's not hungry," she stated nonchalantly.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Sorry it took me so long to update…well, for me it wasn't actually all the long, sometimes it's months upon months, but we've been pretty busy over here, one of my classmates died last weekend and our class has been putting a lot of stuff together to help the family, plus there was the wake, the funeral, school and work, but thankfully I'm FINALLY on Spring Break so…perhaps I'll get a couple more updates in by next week crosses fingers

Not entirely sure why I chose _this _chapter, perhaps I'm still just kind of emotional, but Nate, this one's for you:

R.I.P. NAW --04/07/06-- May angels lead you in buddy, and I know your doin some major kickflips off the Pearly Gates right now.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo  
oOo-Heaven Is A Halfpipe-oOo  
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

That's supposed to be a cloud


	5. Small Favors

2:56.

2:59.

Ginny groaned softly, "Bloody hell," she muttered, climbing out of bed quietly and pulling a cloak around her shoulders. "Bloody sheets."

Ginny had contented in blaming her bed sheets, which felt stiffer and scratchier than usual. "Bloody house elves."

She quietly stole away up to the boys' dorms and found the Marauder's Map sitting at the top of the pile of junk in Harry's trunk. She let the top down quietly.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she chanted when she had reached the Common Room. Locating Filch and his blasted cat in his quarters, Ginny determined the coast clear and shoved the map into her pocket, climbing out of the portrait hole.

When she had circled the castle three times on three different floors, Ginny glanced to her watch.

3:47.

"The castle has to be _way _bigger than that!" Ginny exclaimed quietly to herself.

"They say that talking to one's self is the first sign of insanity," an all-too-familiar shape melted from the shadows. "But then, we _are _talking about you."

Ginny sneered at his comment, casually putting a hand to her pocket to make sure the map was completely out of sight.

"So what have I caught then?" he asked himself. "A girl out past curfew asking me to deduct five points from Gryffindor? Well if you _insist_."

"Buzz off," Ginny sighed. "I'm tired."

"Then _what _are you doing out so late?" he interrogated. They continued walking.

"I can't sleep," she explained the itchy sheets. "You?"

"I don't sleep."

"Right."

"Are you sure that's what it is though?"

"Hmm?"

"The sheets. Are you sure that's the reason?"

Ginny paused. "…well what else would it be?"

"Oh I don't know," Malfoy took her hand and tugged on it to get her to continue walking. "I'm sure there's _something _else on your mind," he placed her against the wall, leaning closer.

Ginny glanced down to his hands, holding her wrists firmly against the wall and smirked. "Do you think I'm going to run away?"

He looked taken aback and confused at her question. "What?"

"Every time you have something to say to me you have to pin me against the wall," she informed him softly, her breath catching as he leaned ever closer.

"Do I?" he barely breathed it, but Ginny could have sworn it was bouncing off of every surface in the castle. Malfoy let his lips brush against Ginny's ever so gently, before continuing against her mouth. "I hadn't even noticed."

"Yes," she responded unnecessarily, "you do."

"Hmm," he broke the silence that pulsed around them and backed away. Still holding one of her wrists, he continued walking. "There's something about you, Red," he stated after a moment. "I'm not _quite _sure what it is, but it drives me insane."

Ginny looked to over to him, and then to their interlocked hands; she felt a small blush appear on her cheeks.

"It's the…idiocy—the _nerve_ you have," he corrected his choice in words at Ginny's murderous squeeze of his fingers. "No matter what the situation you just…can't seem to stop insulting me," he deemed her worthy of a half smile and did so, causing Ginny to grin, and her blush to spread. Ginny thanked Merlin over and over again that it was currently too dark for him to notice.

They walked idly for awhile, and Ginny paused upon seeing the doors to the main entrance, noticing that their seemingly aimless walking had led them to the exit. Malfoy kept on, throwing the doors open and stepping out into the crisp October night. Ginny followed him out hesitantly, sucking in the fresh air until it filled every inch of her lungs.

"It's beautiful out," she remarked, gazing up at the clear, starry sky. Draco nodded in agreement.

They sauntered around the grounds, and had been for less than five minutes, when the cool breeze brought the sound of a growling dog to their ears. Ginny glanced around quickly. The lights in Hagrid's cabin were on, and the door stood open. She pulled Malfoy into the edge of the forest.

"Hagrid is out," she whispered to his quizzical look. "We'll just wait here until he—what?" Ginny gave a suspicious, inspecting look to Malfoy, who was wearing a devilish grin and pulling her further into the wood.

"How would it be," he began, ducking some low branches, "if we just stayed here for awhile?"

Ginny felt herself in an incredibly familiar position as Draco Malfoy pushed her against a tree and captured her mouth in a kiss. Ginny pushed him back.

"Would you _stop _with that!" she exclaimed, catching her breath. "Just _stop_."

"What don't like the way I kiss, Red?" he brought a hand to her cheek and toyed with a piece of her hair. She brushed his hand away.

"Stop," she whispered.

"_You _stop," he commanded, raising his hand again. She pushed it away. He brought it back fiercely and took a handful of her hair, cupping her face firmly with his other hand. "I said stop," he pushed her harder against the tree as she struggled to free herself, "fighting me."

"Why are you doing this?" Ginny hissed through clenched teeth. "Why are you so desperate to get me to join you?"

Malfoy glared intensely into her eyes for a moment before sighing a releasing her. "You're important," he stated blankly.

"What do you mean…?" Ginny asked slowly.

"I don't know!" he raised his hands. "I don't know," he repeated. "I was only told that you're important to us in where your allegiance lies, and I'm supposed to bring you; but you have to be willing—no brainwashing allowed."

"What do you call what you've been doing to me for the past three weeks!" Ginny exclaimed as quietly as she could.

"I meant no spells."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "The things you told me…it was all rubbish, wasn't it?"

"Parts of it," Draco admitted coolly. "What of it?"

Ginny's jaw dropped. "You told me I have no friends or family! You made me believe they didn't even care, that they didn't try to come for me! You—"

"They didn't," he confirmed. Ginny stopped, staring at him.

"What do they want with me?" she asked after a moment, terrified of the answer.

"I don't know!" he hissed for the third time.

Her eyes were more adjusted to the darkness now, and Ginny could see that the normally cool, arrogant Draco Malfoy seemed to have been replaced by someone that was doubtful, tired, and…yes, she thought, scared. He let out a breath and turned from her dissecting eyes.

"…Are you okay, Malfoy?" she asked softly.

"Would you be?" he bit back, his voice filled with contempt and bitterness.

Ginny felt a twinge of pity for the boy, mixed with annoyance at his sudden hostility. "Now don't blame me for this!" she slapped his arm.

"Well if you weren't so bleeding _difficult_!"

"Oh please!" she exclaimed, exasperated at Malfoy's nerve. "You can't expect me to just join you like _that_," she snapped her fingers. "I mean after what you did to me—"

Tense silence filled the air around them. Draco turned back to her, exhaustion and remorse (?) etched into his every feature. "I didn't want—I mean you had to be punished, but…I thought if I showed you how powerful…the stuff we can do…" it seemed that, for the first time in his aristocratic life, Draco Malfoy was at a loss for words.

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Ginny gave a small smile at the spark of hope that flashed through his cool gray eyes.

"I suppose I don't have to tell you what will happen if I don't succeed…" he trailed off. Ginny cringed at the thought.

He closed the space between them, stroking her cheek gently with a freezing hand. "Please do this for me," he pleaded with her, and it tore Ginny's heart into a million pieces.

She shook her head slowly, "You ask too much," she informed him. He hung his head sadly. When he looked at her again, there were tears in his eyes.

"I _can't fail_," Ginny frowned at his emotion. She had never in her wildest dreams imagined that Draco Malfoy could be so vulnerable.

"Is he _that _important to you?"

"The life of my family—" his voice cracked. "I'm desperate, Weasley," he sounded desperate. "You can live your life the way you always wanted: money, power, respect—"

"I'd rather earn it on my own," Ginny told him.

He looked at her coldly. "It'll never happen," he spit out.

Ginny straightened and cleared her face, though she felt shocked at his biting comment. "Fine," she began to walk away.

"Wait!" he grabbed her wrist. Ginny smirked to herself before turning around.

"Sorry, did you have any more ways to insult me before I leave?"

A twig snapped. Ginny gasped and spun around. Draco glanced around suspiciously. He nodded towards the edge of the forest and pulled her in that direction. A glance out of the trees showed darkness where Hagrid's cabin should stand, so they made their way over to a tree by the lake, sitting against the trunk.

For a long while they sat next to each other in silence, listening to the wind blowing through the trees. It wasn't until the eastern sky was tinged with orange and red as the sun rose that Ginny lifted her head from Malfoy's shoulder and sighed.

"What would I have to do?"

"Everything," he answered simply.

"Get the mark?"

"Yes."

"Kill?"

"…Yes."

Ginny gave a heavy sighed and dropped her head to rest upon his shoulder once again. "Lives are at stake because of this…I don't know if I can betray my family and kill just to save people that try to kill me."

Silence encircled them for a while longer, until Ginny broke it with her unexpected answer. "Okay," she sighed. Malfoy made a sudden movement.

"What?"

"I'll do it."

"You'll _what_?"

Ginny sighed again. "You owe me."

"Okay."

"A lot. I mean whatever I want; you're at my beck and call."

"I know."

"Don't make me regret this," Ginny whispered.

"Thank you."

"I couldn't even imagine what I would do if I were in your position…"

Malfoy twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers. He stroked her cheek appreciatively. "_Thank you_."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"You realize I'm going to be completely disowned. I really _won't _have anyone."

Draco shook his head. "You'll be with me and mine."

"You _really _think they're going to accept me so easily?"

"They will if I will."

"This is going to be weird," Ginny stated, pushing herself up and holding out a hand to Malfoy, who smirked as he stood.

"No," he corrected. "This is going to be _fun_."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Would you rather sleep in the hallway?" her fed-up dorm mate shot at her the second her and Malfoy stepped inside.

She inclined her head towards him and whispered "Bad timing," from the corner of her mouth.

"It's a serious question, Ginny; because all of us," she motioned to the other girls, "are _sick _of your midnight walks. You're going to get in a lot of trouble one of these nights and—oh—" she stopped, seeing Ginny's hand entwined with another. She followed the foreign arm up to Draco's face and glanced back and forth between the two. "So _you're _the reason Ginny's been risking all of our points!" she accused him.

He quirked an eyebrow at the ranting Gryffindor and tugged on Ginny's sleeve, "I'm hungry," he complained softly in her ear.

Ginny nodded, her eyes never leaving the dorm mate she had never liked and headed over to the Great Hall.

"I'm not done with you yet, Ginny Weasley!" the girl called, but her shouts went unnoticed by the two as the doors to the Great Hall closed behind them.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny froze. She didn't know what to do. She looked over to the left, then to the right, then to the boy beside her.

Furrowing her brow, she noticed that she had (unfortunately) caught the attention of the very three Gryffindors she didn't want to see her. Their heads bobbed back and forth as they attempted for glimpses of her over the masses of heads.

And before she could stop it from happening, her eyes were locked with a pair of shocking green ones, which glanced beside her and narrowed at her company, then swam back to her, and she could almost hear the thoughts: _Ginny…why are you with him? Don't you remember what he did? What are you doing?_

She felt a light tug on her hand, breaking the entrancing connection, and glanced to Malfoy, then back to the Gryffindor tabled as she allowed him to pull her in the opposite direction. She saw that both Hermione and Harry were holding her brother to his seat, Hermione talking frantically.

She sat down next to Draco, with Blaise on her left. From her spot she could see that her brother's face not only matched his hair, but was actually _redder_.

_Oh yeah,_ Ginny thought regrettably. _Fun_.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

_Voldemort stood before Ginny. "Do you accept the Dark Mark?" he hissed._

_Ginny's eyes widened and she took a step back. "No!"_

_He sneered. "Five points from Gryffindor."_

_Draco tugged on Ginny's arm and whispered, "Please do this for me," in her ear desperately._

"_I'm sorry, Draco," she apologized. "I just can't."_

_He glared at her. "Ten points from Gryffindor."_

"_Draco!"_

_  
"Ginny," she spun around to see Harry approach her. "How can you do this to us, Gin? How can you betray us like this?"_

"_Harry, I—"_

"_Fifteen points from Gryffindor!" he threw his wand to the ground—_

A loud cracking startled Ginny awake. Snape had hit her table with a ruler, inches from her dozing face. He glared at her. "I will _not _tolerate sleeping in my classroom. Perhaps there's a _reason _you're in need of a tutor," a few people snickered around her. He sneered at her before walking back to the front, laying the ruler on his desk. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

"That's _fifty points_!" Ginny heard someone whisper. She looked around and felt her face go red upon seeing the girls of her dorm giving her murderous glares.

She turned to her partner. "Fifty points!" she hissed. "Why didn't you wake me up!"

The girl next to her pointed to the Slytherin insignia on her robe and smirked.

_So much fun_. Ginny sighed.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"You look tired," Draco stated, nudging Ginny. She didn't move; he scowled. "You couldn't have at least _started_ on your—" he paused, crouching down to eye level and found her slumbering. He sat across from her and rested his chin on his folded arms, watching her intently for a moment. Before long, his boredom overpowered his patience, so he opened the thickest book at the table and slammed it shut.

Ginny jerked awake violently, somehow managing to slap her own face. Malfoy chuckled at this. "Bit tired, are we?"

"Running on no sleep," Ginny scowled. "You know that."

"I've run on far less. …You don't look happy."

"Why should I be? It's already lunchtime and I've only managed to get fifty points deducted from Gryffindor!" Ginny replied sarcastically, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I'd noticed," he nodded. "I see you've managed to steer clear of your dorm mates."

"So far. I'm actually contemplating just not going back tonight."

"A wise decision," Draco nodded sagely. "One would wonder if it's worth the bother."

Ginny shook her head. "I would rather have to walk from the Room of Requirement to my dorm for my things and actually have the assurance that I am, in fact, going to wake up in the morning."

Malfoy gave a small smile. "Would you like me to walk you to your next class? Sort of protection from the crazy chits?"

Ginny laughed. "If you wouldn't mind the detour to History of Magic."

"You can sleep in there," Draco pointed out.

In a surprising act of chivalry, Malfoy scooped up her books and nodded towards the doors, waiting for her to depart. He shrugged and smirked at her raised eyebrows. "Something wrong with beings a gentleman, Red?"

Ginny scowled at the nickname. "Just thought you were incapable, is all."

He huffed as they began to walk. "Weasley, I can do _anything_—remember that."

"Mmhmm."

They had actually made it to History of Magic early, so Draco sat on Ginny's desk chatting idly with her to delay Transfiguration.

"It's just down around the corner," he pointed out after Ginny informed him that he was going to be late. "But hey—we have to talk—one okay?"

"No! It's not okay!" Malfoy turned to the persistent girl slowly, his boredom with her mirrored intensely in his expression.

"I don't believe I addressed you," he stated coolly.

"She's already gone and lost us _fifty points_ because _you_," she jabbed her finger into Malfoy's chest. "_You_ insist on keeping her awake all night!"

He stared at the girl. "Ginny," he started, his eyes never leaving the interrupters'. "In all honesty, do you like this girl?"

"Well, _honestly_…not since the moment I met her," the girl's mouth dropped.

Malfoy smiled, pleased. "Five points to Gryffindor then, for at least _one _of you having a decent mind," the girl gasped. "But I _should _be off," he slid off the edge of the desk, "before I _am _late. Tonight, love?"

Ginny beamed at Malfoy, mentally awarding him for being the first person _ever _to get her dorm mate to shut her trap. "Of course."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

You'll all be so proud, I was away all weekend with family for Easter, but managed to get FOURTEEN pages written anyhow. Most of it was this chapter, but I suppose I can start the next one now, seeing as how there's no school tomorrow.

Review, all of you—or I shall hold the next chapter hostage until I receive a large amount! That could take years!


	6. Past Lives

Ginny stumbled out of the portrait hole clumsily.

"I assume there's a good reason you didn't—"

Ginny spun around the instant she heard him. "They stunned me!" she exclaimed.

Malfoy scowled. "I figured they would try something such as that."

Ginny's mouth hung open. "And you didn't think to warn me because…" she made a violent action with her hands.

"Something sort of a test."

"Test?"

"Sure. Were you suspicious and clever enough, you might have expected them to pull something to stop you, and could have met me. Obviously, you weren't," he explained. Ginny frowned.

"If I hadn't gone up to my dorm to drop off my books I'd have been fine."

"Well," he raised his hands and shrugged. "Learn from your mistakes."

"Oh I will! Let them _try _to pull something like that again! I'll—"

"Too late," he interrupted, smirking. "Won't happen."

"Huh? How—"

"I took care of it," he stated smugly.

Vaguely curious as to _how _he had done this, Ginny had barely opened her mouth when Draco spoke again.

"Sitting with me again?"

"Don't see where else I would."

"Your brother get a hold of you yet?"

Ginny shook her head.

"Potter, Granger?"

"Have they, you would have heard about it, I'm sure. No, I managed to make it to my classes quickly and hide out in the library all night. Didn't go back to the Common Room until after ten."

Though it was only her second day, it seemed entirely natural to walk through the doors and straight over to the Slytherin table.

"But with no classes it's definitely going to be more challenging today."

Malfoy shook his head, "Plenty of places to hide in Hogsmeade," Ginny had forgotten it was the first Hogsmeade weekend.

Malfoy sat by Blaise this time, while Ginny sat next to a girl that looked to be in her fourth year. Ginny thought she recalled her name being Sylvia. The girl eyed Ginny, glanced to Malfoy, who nodded, then gave Ginny a small smile.

"Hi, Ginny," she greeted her. Ginny froze. She had only talked to Draco and Blaise before.

_What do I do? What…answer her, I suppose…_

"Hi, Sssylvia," she said the name slowly, barely mumbling it. The Slytherin gave her an odd look and turned to the boy next to her.

Ginny heard a cough and a small laugh, then Malfoy whispering in her ear. "Her name is actually Sloan, Red," she could hear his amusement, and a glance to her right showed Blaise, shaking with silent laughter that he wasn't trying to hard to control. Ginny blushed. "Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "She'll forget about it in an hour."

Ginny relaxed as his hand dropped from her arm down to rest on her hand, which was resting on her thigh. She felt even more blood rush to her cheeks. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and Ginny felt a surge of something unknown (delight, she thought it to be) when he didn't make to move it away.

She dished up her breakfast silently, thankful that no one else talked to her; it seemed that Draco and Blaise were having an intense conversation. She hardly noticed when Malfoy turned to her and asked her a question.

"Yo, Red," he released her hand to wave his in front of her face.

"What?" she realized she'd been staring at the sausage speared to her fork for a good two minutes.

"Zabs and I are heading into Hogsmeade later, if you feel the need for more protection," his eyes left her and darted to the Gryffindor table, of which about a third were glaring in their direction.

Ginny gave a nervous laugh as she followed his glance. "I would love you forever," she looked from Malfoy to Blaise, who quirked an eyebrow at Malfoy upon hearing her last statement to him. They shared a looked that made Ginny a tad uneasy, since she wasn't exactly sure what they were silently communicating.

"Blaise has something to do first but…" he trailed off as the morning flock of owls flooded in. He watched the ceiling intently, and paid no notice as his owl black eagle-owl landed in front of him with a parcel. Instead, he watched the Gryffindor table, as a surprised fifth year girl opened her letter, paled, and chanced a terrified glance to him. He sent her a hard 'I'm-not-even-joking' stare and raised his eyebrows, inviting her to try his seriousness. The look had its desired affect, and Malfoy smirked as the girl jumped up and walked out of the Great Hall briskly. "…we'll go when he's finished," he finished slowly. "It won't take more than an hour or so, will it?"

Blaise shook his head.

"Oh, you had to talk to me, didn't you?" Ginny reminded him. Draco nodded and stood, grabbing the forgotten package from the table as they walked out.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"There's something you need to know, Red. Obviously there had to be a time when you—"

"Why do you call me that?" Ginny asked out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"Red. Why do you call me Red?"

Malfoy smirked. "Well…I suppose I call you Red because Weasley has already been reserved for your brother," he explained.

Ginny furrowed her brow. "Why don't you just use my name?"

Her tone was hushed, and he could barely percept the fact that she must have felt slightly offended, but still he knew it was there. "Uh…I don't know," he gave a small sheepish grin. "I guess because your hair is so…_red_."

Ginny glared at him. "What's wrong with red hair? I can't help the color of it, you know. At least it _has _color! Honestly you're such a—"

"No! I like it!" he offered up quickly. Ginny calmed, silently plotting her own death for being so quick to get upset.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before the question edging into Draco's every thought proved to be too much to turn away from the conversation. "Why did you say yes?"

Ginny didn't know what to say. She didn't really know why she had. "I…" he looked at her expectedly. "I guess I just put myself in your position…I mean…if it were _me _that needed _your _help to save my family…I don't know…I might have gone to the same measures."

"You never understand _how _far you would go, until it's actually happening," he informed her.

More silence ensued this thoughtful comment, broken by Draco, who stopped her and took a hold of her shoulders. "I really do appreciate it, you know."

"I would imagine," was all she said to this. "…what were you going to say?"

"I—"

"Hey!" Blaise jogged up to them. "That didn't take as long as I thought it would. Let's go."

Malfoy gave him an uneasy look, but nodded confirmation anyhow.

They made their way out to the carriages, a few of which hadn't left yet, and found the emptiest one to contain two fifth year Hufflepuffs.

Blaise jutted his thumb out the door as he stepped in. "It's too nice to not walk, girls." Giving each other an exasperated look, they relinquished the carriage when Malfoy stepped up.

"Problem with the ride?"

The girls eyed Malfoy; the one leaned over and whispered something to her companion, whose eyes widened. They both looked at Malfoy, then back to each other, and then exited the carriage and walked away quickly.

"I shall _never _get tired of doing that," Draco sighed contently as he took a seat. Zabini leaned back, grinning. Ginny looked at the two and shook her head sadly.

"You guys just need to grow up. We could have walked."

"Where lies the fun in that?" Blaise looked at her. To Ginny's utter disappointment, it was a serious question.

"True Slytherins," she muttered.

"To the bone," Malfoy added quietly.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Something has to be done."

"I'll kill him."

"I'll kill _her_!"

The ranting Gryffindors walked down to Hogsmeade village.

"What should we do?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to murder the prat," Harry replied hotly.

"My sister is _dead_! How could you not have told me?"

"We didn't want you to overreact," Hermione explained.

"Should it have mattered! My sister is hanging around Draco _bloody_ MALFOY!"

"Shh!" Hermione glanced around them. There were a couple of girls ten feet behind them, eyeing Ron, but other than that there were alone. "Keep it down!"

"Keep cool, Ron," Harry agreed. "We'll kill him when the time comes. Until then, we'll have to just watch and wait to get him alone."

"I'm talking to Ginny. Haven't you two even talked to Ginny?"

"I tried," Hermione admitted, raising a hand guiltily. "She spouted out some rubbish about us not even trying to get her when she was captured."

"Rubbish straight from the mouth of Malfoy, no doubt," Harry spit out.

The three decided upon Zonko's as their first stop, Harry and Ron promising Hermione that it would be a quick browse then back out to the streets. They had no sooner left the joke shop when Harry grabbed Ron's sleeve, demanding his attention.

There Ginny walked, with Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy on either side of her.

"I don't believe this is happening," Ron muttered, clutching his hair with his hands. "If mum finds out we're _all _dead!"

"No one's going to find out," Harry informed him, nodding to where the three had just disappeared behind a corner. "We're finishing this now."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

To Ginny's chagrin, her accompanists walked straight past the Three Broomsticks and Zonko's Joke Shop, down to a remote section of Hogsmeade. Ginny recalled the first unofficial meeting of the D.A. as they passed the Hog's Head and smiled to herself. They continued along their isolated path until they passed the very last shop, and then turned the corner of it.

"Where are we going?"

Blaise's head spun to Malfoy, giving him a sharp look. "You didn't _tell_ her?"

"I was about to! You interrupted us before I got the chance!"

"Well," Blaise picked up an outdated newspaper, offering it to Draco. "Oh well," he shrugged.

Ginny cocked her head to the side at this gesture. "What are you—" Draco grabbed her wrist and placed in on the disposed paper along with his own hand.

Ginny's world spun.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Wait right there, now—" Ron paused, looking to Harry or Hermione for an explanation.

Footprints in the soggy ground stopped just around the corner of the building.

"What?" The three chimed in unison, each voice filled with confusion.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny's body was dumped hard to the ground. Blaise and Draco landed gracefully next to her, remaining on the ground as she struggled to her feet.

She only had to follow the robes up to the face to understand why the others hadn't stood. She quickly receded a few steps, clearing the fury she felt for Malfoy from her face as she went.

"Weasley," Ginny had had the name her whole life—all fifteen years of it—and had had many enemies and even friends refer to her as it, but never had the surname sounded so disgusting and pitiful as it did when it left Tom Riddle's lips.

She didn't know how she should respond: sir, Voldemort, Tom, Master. _I'm not his yet_. Ginny thought fiercely, revolted that the word had entered her mind at all. Feeling her time running short and not being able to even begin to make an educated guess, she simply nodded acknowledgement to him.

"You have done well, Draco," _Well at least _that _part isn't a surprise to me._ "As have you, Blaise—though you have much more ahead of you."

_Now _THAT _surprised me_. Ginny looked at Draco, who nodded humbly, and then Blaise, who was wearing a fierce, determined look on his features. "You—" she silenced herself from addressing Blaise the moment she caught eyes with Malfoy. She lowered them to the ground.

"You are here under free will, are you not?"

Ginny looked up, assuming that the question was directed to her. Well, he was looking at her so… "Yes, sir," she answered as quietly as she could.

"And you are aware of what lies ahead of you, and what your actions entail, as well as understand what will come if you do not fulfill your station properly?"

Ginny hesitated. "Er…"

"Which part must I explain?" he eyes glinted maliciously. Ginny shivered.

"Uh…I uh, the part about what I'm supposed to do?"

Draco and Blaise shared a glance from the corners of their eyes; they had risen after Voldemort had addressed them.

"Zabini will explain it all to you when you begin your training."

"So…_why _must I answer questions about understanding what I have to do if it hasn't been explained to me yet?" Ginny though it was a mistake to allow the sarcastic question to leave her lips, and knew it for a dead fact when she heard Malfoy's short, sharp intake of breath. Ginny cringed at her own stupidity.

The Dark Lord stared at her, completely expressionless. Ginny hoped she wasn't about to die. He then, to Ginny's amazement, let a small, knowing smile creep across his face and nodded to Draco. "I understand, Draco," he informed him.

Ginny looked over to Draco, who looked positively relieved and livid at the same time, and Ginny suddenly remembered his words to her in the dungeon:

"_You've been beaten, tortured with some of the worst curses I've learned and deprived of food and water so much you shouldn't be conscious right now. Any other person would have begged me for death three days in. Any other person would keep their mouth shut. You aren't like anyone else. You are incredible." _

Ginny wished she could have somehow bridged her brain-to-mouth gap, but she always seemed to not think before she spoke, even _after_ Malfoy had pointed it out to her.

"Ginny Weasley," he called her attention back to him. Ginny jumped, snapping back from her thoughts of Malfoy pinning her to his dungeon floor, in a very different sense than what had actually happened. She cursed herself silently as she thought she felt a blush form to her cheeks.

She looked at the thing in front of her. He wasn't even a man any longer. An evil, murderous, snake-like tyrant _thing_; that is what Ginny decided he was.

"Blaise will begin your training tonight, during which he will explain to you why you are here, and why, now, you are committed."

Ginny mentally stabbed Malfoy violently for pitying her into this. _What was I thinking! Bloody compassion…_

She nodded, and when he turned from them and walked away, the boys walked over to her.

Draco gave her an angry but gentle shove. "Why can't you just learn to keep your mouth shut!" he hissed.

"Relax, Draco, its fine," Blaise tried to sooth his fuming friend.

"This time! This time when it's her _first _time, and she doesn't know anything! What happens the next time she says whatever comes to mind, when she's in his ranks—when she _has the Mark_!"

He looked at Blaise pointedly, who, by his change in expression and nodding head showed that Malfoy had prevailed in the argument. "He's right, Weasley. You can't keep doing that."

Ginny felt humiliated at her stupid comments and the fact that people, the two people she was going to be with quite a bit from now on, completely frowned upon her action only made the feeling worse. She nodded dumbly.

Apparently still a bit perturbed, Draco snatched the paper from the ground. Blaise and Ginny clutched the paper, spinning away back to Hogsmeade.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

He had been completely irrational, and that put Draco into an even more furious state. What the girl had done was stupid, beyond argument, but he loathed himself for lashing out at her mistake so harshly.

As he scolded her, and even more so when Blaise agreed with him, a wild blush had spread across her cheeks. When she took a hold of the newspaper she seemed to have composed her nerves and looked at him.

Her eyes still held all of her emotions—she was horrible at completely clearing her expression. Not always a bad thing, Draco had to admit, but he hated himself even more when he saw the humiliation and hurt in her eyes; and the words swimming through them, delivering themselves silently to Draco's ears:

_I'm sorry I messed up…I really didn't mean to…_

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

The walked up to the castle silently, and Ginny paused when they entered, as Blaise went in one direction and Malfoy in another. Blaise stopped, Malfoy continued on.

"He's going to the Common Room," Blaise explained.

"Where are we going?"

"Library."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny was sitting at the secluded table in the back. Just sitting. Staring off. He had told her to sit, so she sat. He came back with a book. A very _old _looking book.

"Okay," he sighed as he dropped the book on the table in front of them. "Now. Why you're here: You're here because the Dark Lord wants, er, that is to say _needs _your cooperation during the war."

"Okay…"

"He believes you're the one that holds the Deep Magic, and he…wants you to learn how to harness it."

"…Alright…"

Blaise sighed. "There's a prophecy," he recited it:

_She is destined,_

_One of six,_

_To overthrow_

_He-Who-Lives,_

_Harnessing_

_The Magic Deep,_

_She'll know herself_

_Within her sleep._

_Reincarnate_

_The Dark Princess,_

_He who wields her_

_Wields success._

"…and you think this is me…how?"

"Well…Potter is obviously He-Who-Lives; I mean, come on, the boy who lived, he who lives—"

"So some bit is destined to oppose Harry in the war…so what? That can't possibly be me," Ginny shook her head, further indicating that she didn't plan on fighting Harry.

Blaise gave her an uneasy look. "One of six," he repeated. "You _are _the only girl of six brothers, are you not?"

Ginny let out a breath and looked upwards, quickly counting off mentally. _Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron, Forge, Gred…oh damn._ She nodded reluctantly.

"If that isn't enough for you—"

"It's not," Ginny interrupted, praying that he hadn't heard how much her voice was quavering.

He opened the book in front of them to a page that had been previously book marked. "You look just like her."

Ginny stared at the book, dumbfounded. Locked within the pages of an ancient book, clad in medieval dress and sword in hand, was _her_.

"Desdemona Despara," Blaise whispered. "Once reigned over all of Wales. They coined the nickname from her malevolent, brutal actions, as well as upon the fact that every battle she led was victorious by far. I mean _every_," he spoke the last word slowly and articulately.

Ginny laid a hand on the picture of the person who seemed to be her. "The dreams," she barely breathed it, but Blaise gave her a sharp, sudden look.

"_What_?"

She looked to him, then back to the book. "I've had dreams of her…me…wearing stuff like this, sitting on a throne and fighting in a battle and…" Ginny closed her eyes. "I can hear it sometimes," she confided softly. "The clanking metal of the swords, people shouting spells…it was like a mixture of both of our worlds—ours and the muggles'."

"She'll know herself within her sleep…"

Ginny looked at him. "_Bloody hell_!"

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

They all sat in silence at dinner. Ginny felt a twinge of annoyance at herself for hoping that Malfoy wasn't still angry with her.

"Are you alright?" he was quiet, concerned, and the look on his face told Ginny right away that he had completely forgotten about earlier that day.

"Um…no…" she answered honestly. "But uh…we can't talk about it here."

He nodded knowingly, slipping a hand under the table stealthily and parting her own hands, which were clasped in her lap. Ginny wasn't sure if she could chew anything that she put in her mouth, so she contented in sipping at her water occasionally.

After a few minutes of her own thoughts driving her insane, Ginny stood and excused herself, giving Draco an apologetic look.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

She had been lying on her bed for nearly six hours, after pacing for awhile when she got back from supper. Still her thoughts clouded her head.

_I am an evil princess reincarnate. I hold some kind of magic that Voldemort wants…and I have to use it against Harry…_The thought made her sick, and although her empty stomach was rumbling, Ginny found herself very glad that she hadn't eaten anything.

Her dorm mates had come up hours ago, but didn't bother Ginny. Instead, they had gone to sleep, pulling their curtains around their beds.

Ginny paced around restlessly when she was sure the others were asleep. She was still curious as to what Malfoy had done in order to silence her companions, and almost as if on cue, the second his name entered her head, a giant eagle-owl flew in and landed on her bed. She removed the small piece of parchment.

'_Are you alright?'_

Ginny sighed and sat down at the desk by the window. She pulled up a piece of parchment and quill, but couldn't quite find any words to say to him.

'_I've just found out that I am an evil princess incarnate and Voldemort wants me for the powers I possess'_

Ginny made a disgusted face at the statement. It was true, but it sounded so…_blunt_…_Although_, she mused, _I _am _writing to Draco_…

'_Turns out there's a prophecy about how I'm going to fight Harry'_

That too sounded completely pointless to write…Malfoy wouldn't understand why she was distressing so much if she wrote it like that. A frustrated sound emitted from the back of her throat.

She sat there for the third time for nearly five minutes, clearing her mind of all thoughts, before writing the first thing she thought of. Hoping this technique would work in sorting out all of the details, Ginny read over what she had written.

'_I can't stop thinking about you, and I want to know why you keep holding my hand'_

Ginny sighed.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

It was nearly an hour later when his owl returned to him, and Malfoy grabbed the multiple pieces of parchment from his pet greedily.

"What did she do? Write a novel?" he eyed the several papers and dismissed his owl. He unfolded the letter and started with the first piece, which seemed to contain a poem.

_She is destined,_

_One of six,_

_To overthrow_

_He-Who-Lives,_

_Harnessing_

_The Magic Deep,_

_She'll know herself_

_Within her sleep._

_Reincarnate_

_The Dark Princess,_

_He who wields her_

_Wields success._

He read it over several times. _This is a prophecy_…he realized. He glanced to the other things she had sent him, which appeared to be two pages torn out of a book. He began to scan through the text, but his eyes stopped dead and his brain refused to do anything else when he caught sight of a picture of a girl dressed in medieval-looking apparel, and resembling Ginny far too much to be coincidental.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

All done for now…I hope it wasn't too much of a leap, but I figured it's the sixth chapter, and I should probably actually start with the plot…

The idea actually came to me last night, along with several others, and although I haven't marked it as such in the summary, I hope there's no need to tell you that this is kind of turning into an AU fic…

PLEASE let me know what you think, I beg you…even make suggestions…I REALLY need stuff to work off of. I beg you to answer a few questions in your reviews:

How am I doing with characterization?

The whole Voldemort scene is waaaay sketchy; I think at least, do YOU think I did alright with it?

Are you kind of understanding the plot? Is there something I can do/questions I can answer to help you better understand what's happening?

Five stars being the best, what do you rate this fic so far?

Which character (of the way I've written them) is your favorite?

I'm also going to take this time to FINALLY tell you: The titles for my chapters are actually song titles, from songs that I think have a pretty good overall theme for each chapter. They range from artists like Within Temptations, to Carbon Leaf to System of a Down. All of them are really great songs, so it would be to your best interest if you checked out the lyrics or even gasp downloaded the songs.

Chapter 1: Caged by **Within Temptations  
**Chapter 2: Life Less Ordinary by **Carbon Leaf  
**Chapter 3: Hypnotize by **System of a Down  
**Chapter 4: Hear You Me by **Jimmy Eat World **(this is actually a song sung at my friend's funeral, whom I dedicated that chapter to)  
Chapter 5: Small Favors by **Fountains of Wayne**

Is that QUITE enough announcements for you? Good! Look forward to the next chapter: I know I am! Review and gimme some suggestions!


	7. Head Over Feet

"Do you need anything?"

Ginny shook her head silently.

"…I would ask if you're alright, but the answer seems a bit obvious."

Ginny nodded.

"Would you at least _talk_ to me?"

Ginny turned to the boy next to her. "What am I supposed to say?"

Draco Malfoy looked at her, feeling completely useless; knowing that he couldn't do anything to ease her troubles made him feel worthless. Feeling worthless because of a girl was something that made him confused. He had never bothered with the emotional stuff with any of them, and the fact that he was starting to with Ginny of all people made him irritated and slightly amazed.

He took her hand hesitantly, though making sure that his exterior showed him confident and unshaken. "Just talk to me," he responded.

Ginny sighed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she admitted.

Malfoy ran a hand through his hair, an action that should have mussed it, but instead seemed to form it even more perfectly around his face. "Blaise is going to train you…"

"What kind of powers do I have?"

"Why are you asking me?" he questioned, taking a sip of orange juice.

"If I can find out that than I can at least _guess _at what…" Ginny silenced herself as more Slytherins walked over to the table, and continued when she was sure they weren't within earshot of their conversation. It was still relatively early. "…what he is going to use me for," _against Harry_, she added silently in her head.

Draco shook his head. "Really, no idea, you'll have to talk to Blaise about that. You coming to the game today?"

"Game?"

Draco huffed at her. "The _Quidditch _game! Slytherin versus Ravenclaw."

"Oh…I don't know…Probably not…I should get some homework done," she stood.

He stood with her, walking her out of the Great Hall. "Alright…not going to be the same though…" he sighed.

"How isn't it? I haven't gone to any games. I'm not even playing this year."

"Why is that?"

Ginny looked at him pointedly. "I didn't much feel like it at the beginning of the year," she stated. To her amazement, he seemed almost crestfallen at her refusal to watch him play. Her heart gave a tremendous _thwack _as it landed in her stomach. "Give me a full play-by-play later?" she requested.

This seemed to boost him a bit. "Of course," he smirked, backing towards his Common Room to grab his gear. "Wish me luck!" he called to her.

"Like you need it," Ginny scoffed, but added, "Good luck, Alby."

He stopped, took a few steps towards her and put a hand to his ear. "_What _did you just call me, and _why_?"

Ginny laughed. "Alby. You have a nickname for me, don't you? Why can't I have a nickname for you?"

"Because _my _nickname actually makes _sense_," he pointed out.

"So does mine."

"How's that, do you imagine?"

"Your albino," she laughed. "It's actually something I _just _realized…sad huh?"

"Don't call me that," he commanded.

Ginny smiled mischievously and basked in the glory of the fact that the smile seemed to unnerve Malfoy quite a bit. "Tell you what," she bargained. "You plow Ravenclaw into the ground today, and I won't call you it ever again."

Malfoy smirked. "Physically or metaphorically?"

Ginny thought on this. "Umm…I'll let _you _decide that."

His own mischievous grin spread across his face. "Excellent…"

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"I figured _you'd_ have been at the game," a bitter voice sounded from behind her. All of the dread Ginny had managed to contain deep inside her bubbled up again at the sound of his voice.

"I could say the same for you," she replied, not looking up from her textbook.

"Not really," the boy negated. "I don't run with the Slytherins."

Ginny sighed, knowing for weeks that this was coming, but discovering no way to stop it from happening. "Harry…"

"What's going on with you, Gin?"

She looked up at him. Hurt and confusion swirled in his eyes, but Ginny took a lesson from Malfoy and looked deeper for underlying emotion that someone like Harry didn't know how to cover up. She found it, after a second: anger, laced with…what _looked _to be fear. _Fear of what?_ _Fear of my sanity? Fear of the path I'm taking? Or fear of losing me to Malfoy?_

"I'm living. What's going on with _you_?"

"_I'm_ not the one acting all strange; running around with Slytherins—_sitting _with them at _meals_!"

"You say it as if their company should make me unable to digest food," Ginny stated coldly. She thanked Merlin a thousand times over that Ron wasn't with him.

"How couldn't it?" he shot back. When Ginny dropped her eyes back to her book and continued on her essay she heard him sigh. The scraping of a chair indicated that he had occupied the seat across from her. "Ginny…"

She neither spoke to him, nor indicated she was listening in any way, but continued on with her work as if she were the only person in the castle.

"You can't do this," his voice was soft, pleading with Ginny to come to her senses. "You're betraying your family, the Order, your whole _life_."

Ginny looked up at him. "That's not my life. _This_ is my life," she looked past Harry, to the wall, staring intently at it for a moment before adding softly: "It's my destiny…"

Harry looked at her. He knew he should have been fighting for her safety _far _harder than he was. "Ginny…"

"I have a lot of work to do, Harry, if you don't mind."

"Ginny—"

"I just need to be alone," she informed him softly. It was a true statement—Ginny definitely wanted some time to think over what was going on.

"I just—"

"_Alone_, Harry," Ginny repeated.

Harry stood. "I don't know why I even try," he spat angrily, stalking away, leaving Ginny staring at the wall still.

"Because once you told me you loved me…" she whispered to no one.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny sighed, now finding it even harder to concentrate on her History of Magic essay, her and Harry's words floating idly around her brain.

"I suppose…" she trailed off to herself. "…it couldn't hurt to just _watch_, would it now?"

Ginny decided quickly that she agreed with herself and threw her books into her bag. On the way down the steps she decided that she didn't have time to get her cloak, if she actually wanted to see any of the game. She made her way outside and down to the pitch.

It was windy—and _cold_—but all contemplations of hexing herself for rushing to the match dissipated when she caught sight of a blonde and green streak diving about the field.

She looked around, squinting for Blaise Zabini's face. When she caught sight of him he seemed to straighten and turn to her. Ginny stood at the side of the stands, frozen. He had just _felt _her _looking_ for him! After a second he raised a hand and beckoned her up. She snuck around the back of the stands and started up towards the Slytherin section, quickening her pace when their cheering roared even louder.

"_10 points Slytherin!_" the announcer's voice rang. She smiled as she finished the steps, jostling around the bodies to stand next to Blaise.

"How we doin'?" she questioned. She didn't see Blaise's look to her.

"Pretty damn good. Haven't seen Draco fly this hard since last year. It's almost like he thinks we won't win."

Ginny smiled. "Or won't win by enough…"

"What?" Ginny shook her head, denying the boy an explanation. She scanned the sky and caught sight of him, circling above the rest.

The Slytherins around her gave a disapproving roar, pointing frantically towards a Ravenclaw chaser who was heading fast for the rings. Draco looked around for his beaters and, when his search came up empty, made a dive.

The Ravenclaw seeker began to do the same, suspecting Malfoy was going for the snitch, but instead he veered upwards into the chaser's path, causing her to over-correct and fly off to the left, dropping the quaffle as she went.

The announcer hissed at Draco's foul play, though no one had been injured, and Draco seemed to take on an arrogant air, proud that he had earned such a reaction.

"Woah! Stalyon dives for the quaffle! Nice save by Slytherin chaser Sloan Stalyon! What's this?"

The crowd erupted all over the pitch as an irate looking Ravenclaw beater swooped in front of Sloan and knocked a bludger at her from less than five feet away. Slytherins booed and hissed, and her friends cried out as she fell towards the ground. Malfoy began to fly down, with the intention of catching her, and stopped his dive when he saw that another chaser had delivered her safely to the ground. He called a time out.

Madam Hooch flew over to him. There was much pointing and arm waving and Draco looked severely pissed.

"…completely uncalled for!" his voice flew down in the wind. The pitch was quiet save for small conversations between friends and the Slytherin requests for punishment and disqualification. Madam Hooch threw up her hands—whether in surrender or exasperation for Malfoy no one knew. But she called on Snape to take his student to the Hospital Wing, and removed the beater from the game.

From then on, the match was sinister. Draco flew even harder and the rest of the team snuck in foul shots whenever they believed they might get away with it. Seconds after Draco had caught the snitch, Crabbe sent a bludger over to the Ravenclaw Captain, who, lucky for him, veered it quickly, shaking a fist at the lump of a boy.

When the Slytherins cheered, Ginny cheered with them, and they seemed to accept her as one of their own, celebrating their victory.

She hung back towards the end of the crowd, walking slowly in hopes that Draco wouldn't take long to get showered and change. After a few minutes of slow sauntering, he jogged up beside her.

"Good job," Ginny congratulated.

"Thanks for coming."

"It was this or History of Magic," Ginny informed him. "The choice wasn't hard."

He gave a small chuckle at this and ran a hand through his hair, heaving a breath.

"Tired?"

"I haven't flown that hard since—"

"Last year? Ha…that's what Blaise said. …Sloan going to be okay?"

"Don't know. Think I'll head over to the ward to check."

"Want some company?"

Malfoy graced her with a smile. "Love some."

She looked over to him. His face was still flushed, and his hair mussed with water from his quick shower. He was still panting for breath slightly, and his gray eyes sparkled with pride from his victory.

She hated to bring it up, especially when he was in such a great mood, but Ginny knew she had to say _something _to him if she wanted those sparkling eyes to focus on her once more. "Harry cornered me in the library…"

His gaze shot over to her. His victorious eyes clouded over with a mixture of annoyance and concern. "And?"

"He didn't stay long…made the obvious arguments…I just ignored him."

Draco nodded, slipping her hand into his as they walked. "There's no getting away from him…and it's just going to get worse."

Ginny sighed, knowing this to be true.

They walked to the Hospital Wing and had been there for a full twenty seconds—just long enough to see that Sloan was still unconscious—when Madam Pomphrey shooed them away.

"She'll never get better if everyone is bothering her!" She lectured.

"She's _unconscious_! I'm her _captain_!"

"I don't care if you're her fairy god-mother—out!" The doors to the ward shut swiftly behind them.

"Stupid bint," Malfoy grumbled, kicking at the door lightly.

"She'll be out soon enough, I wager," Ginny reasoned.

"Hey…just about lunchtime, you hungry?"

"Not so much…but I'll go with you if you want."

Draco thought on this for a moment, ultimately shaking his head. "Nah…let's just skip the crowd."

Ginny nodded as if this was perfectly normal, but her insides were screaming. _It's Draco Malfoy—Draco Malfoy skipping out on attention! How is it humanly possible for him to do that?_

They went instead to their room—that is to say, the Room of Requirement. They were lounging there for some time when Ginny gave a heavy sigh.

"I don't know if I can fight him," she admitted softly.

Draco looked over to her from the chair he was lying in. He got up swiftly and fell onto the couch next to her, slipping an arm around her waist. "You can," he assured her. "You _have _to be able to…it's your destiny."

"But can I win?" she doubted her own powers and strength more than anything.

"You're destined to," he pointed out.

She laid her head on his shoulder, twisting her body to better fit against his. "Sometimes I'm not so sure."

"Heh…just wait until Blaise starts training you and you realize what kind of power you hold…you'll be spectacular."

"You think so?"

"So says fate."

Ginny sighed. "I hope fate is right…and yet…"

"Look," Draco sat up a little. "I know this is hard for you…fighting someone you thought you were supposed to be with…but it's the way it has to be. There's no way around it. Have faith, right? And a little confidence wouldn't hurt either."

Ginny turned her head to face him, gazing into his eyes. "How do _you _know exactly what to say _all _the time?"

"Just a gift," he shrugged.

Ginny smiled, leaning closer. _He does it to you all the time! _She scolded herself for hesitating. _Just do it, okay? Just go! Just go!_ She tilted her head a bit more and closed the space between them, catching Malfoy slightly off guard. It seemed he caught on before long, however, because soon he had her pinned beneath him.

Ginny was a tad annoyed that he had once _again_ pinned her against a solid object. She threw her bodyweight into him and sent them both rolling off the couch. Fate had it in Ginny's luck to land straddling Malfoy.

She took this opportunity to torture him for a moment; running her hands along his toned chest, and leaning down and placing small kisses along his collarbone.

A low sound emitted from his throat, and Ginny was trying to decide if it sounded more like a moan or a growl when he spoke.

"You're quite lucky I'm still tired from Quidditch or you would be paying right now," he whispered against her hair.

Ginny mustered up the most sinister chuckle she could and let it out. "_Still _tired from Quidditch? How weak you must—argh!" He had spun her around in mid-sentence, and now it was he who took his turn in torturing.

He let his fingers slide down her motionless arms slowly, barely grazing her skin. He then lowered himself and took to nibbling on her ear and kissing her neck, smirking against her skin as she let out small moans of contentment. "You see what happens when you anger me?" he questioned.

"What can I do to piss you off all the time?" Ginny gave a yelp of laughter and squirmed as one of Draco's wandering hands hit a sensitive spot. "Ah! Haha, not my sides, I'm too ticklish."

Malfoy smirked. "Now _why _would you even tell me something like that?" Ginny moaned.

"Please don't, Draco. Ah! Don't! I'm serious! Aha, stop it—Malfoy! Ahh!" before long Ginny couldn't even make words as Draco tickled her senseless, poking at her sides and belly.

"Ahh! Ah—Alby! Stop, Alby!" she called out. Draco stopped.

"Hey! We had a deal with that!" Ginny pushed him off of her, sitting up.

"Yes, we did. I said if you pounded Ravenclaw into the ground—"

"Which we did."

"—then I would stop calling you it."

"Yeah, stop calling me…stop calling me 'it'," Malfoy scowled at her.

"You call me Red!"

"That's a cute nickname!"

"I think Alby is cute…" Ginny grinned as his frown deepened. "Tell you what…if it bothers you that much, I won't."

He looked at her, slightly puzzled. "Really?"

"Ha, no! Ooh I can't wait to use it in public! I'll—ahh!"

Just like that Draco had her pinned again, but instead of resuming in tickling her, he fell down upon her and took her into a hearty snog. "Just try it."

Ginny smiled, her heart pounding too loudly for her liking. "Oh, I will. Believe me, I will."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Hours later, after suppertime, Ginny occupied the room once again, this time with Blaise.

"So…_what _kind of powers do I have?"

He shifted his weight. "Well…we're not actually _sure_…"

Ginny sighed, scowling at the boy.

"The Dark Lord suspects there will be a range of powers that you'll have…this could extend anywhere from wandless magic to legilimency or telekinesis. There's really no way to know until you begin to harness the power inside you."

"…and _how _am I to go about this?"

"Just…concentrate."

"On _what_!"

"Umm…here," he picked up a feather that had fallen to the ground beside his foot. He held it in his palm a foot from Ginny. "Try to summon this without your wand."

Ginny stared hard at the object and repeated '_Accio feather!'_ over and over again in her head. "_Accio _feather!" she called out, extending her hand, which hit Blaise's and caused the feather to float to the ground gently.

Zabini scowled at her and picked up the feather, taking a step back in the process. "Okay, try again."

Ginny closed her eyes. _Draw out the power…the power that I hold from my…er…past life…Draw the power…_Ginny opened her eyes and focused on the feather, imagining it in her hand. "_Accio_ feather!"

To her amazement, the feather seemed to rock a bit in Blaise's hand. When she found it was because he was shaking with laughter, she was more than a little discouraged.

"_What_!"

"N-nothing—haha, you just uh, ha! Wow, okay," he composed himself. "Concentrating awfully hard were you? Haha, you should have seen the look on your face."

Ginny frowned. "I've got a headache. Okay," she tried to focus again, with her eyes open and a normal look on her face. "_Accio_ feather!"

The feather didn't budge. "ARGH!" Ginny fumed, throwing her hands up. "I just want to _obliterate_ the damned—"

"Ouch! Hey that hurt!" Ginny stared in amazement at Blaise's hand, which contained a small scorch mark and no feather.

"I did it!" Ginny jumped up and down with glee. "I did it!"

"Yes," her former tutor agreed, wiping his blackened hand on his robe. "But you were supposed to _summon _it, not _blow off my hand_!"

Ginny jumped still. "Sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"Well, I guess we know what fuels your powers then."

Ginny stopped jumping, her attention being caught by this statement. "We do?"

Blaise nodded; annoyed that she hadn't caught the fact two minutes ago. "_Emotion_."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Hope the Draco/Ginny scene was spicy enough for you, hehehe…and ladeda review and such and I hope you liked it, bye!

Oh, some **good news **and some **bad news**. The bad news for me is good news for you, so I guess it's just one piece of news, but my back it hurting mucho bad right now, and the doctor told me today that I should not work until at least the middle of next week--which means there will be time for me to get plenty of writing done (that's the good news for you) the bad part is that my employers aren't too happy with me and I could actually really use the hours right now...oh well...you deal with what you're given I guess...


	8. Dirty Little Secret

It was two weeks after his confrontation with Ginny that Harry was called to Dumbledore's office after supper one night. He knocked on the door and entered upon permission to find a large variety of people already occupying the office.

Dumbledore was there, of course, and McGonagall stood to the left of his desk, Snape on the right, Madam Hooch, Flitwick and Sprout stood off to the side near the window along with the Captains from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams, and, what surprised Harry the most: Ginny and Malfoy sat in front of Dumbledore's desk, conversing silently.

When he entered, McGonagall motioned to the chair next to Ginny. He moved it a few inches to the left, away from her, before sitting. She made a face to Malfoy.

"What's going on?" Harry glanced around to all of the faces in the office. The portraits were watching intently, vaguely curious expressions on their faces.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry, there is an announcement to be made regarding the Quidditch teams," he nodded to Draco, who stood.

"One of my chasers, Sloan Stalyon was injured in our last match against Ravenclaw. Two weeks have passed and Pomphrey doesn't believe she'll be well enough to play the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match two weeks from now," he muttered something unrecognizable under his breath and Ginny gave a small snort of laughter. Malfoy's smirk dissipated upon seeing his Head of House's sharp look to him. "Therefore," he continued. "A replacement is in order. After a great number of rather…unsuccessful tryouts, I've decided to use Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor as the replacement chaser, seeing as how she is currently absent from their team this year."

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Captains made odd sounds from the corner of the room, but these went almost unheard when Harry stood so fast that his chair scraped back noisily. "You can't do that!" he accused, furious. "She's a _Gryffindor_! She can't play on the _Slytherin_ team!"

"But she can," Draco smirked, glancing to Ginny, who nodded.

"He's right, Potter," Madam Hooch stepped forward. "Interhouse replacement rules are obscure and rarely used, but there nonetheless. As long as the substitution lasts no longer than three matches, and all captains consent, as well as the Heads of Houses, then it is perfectly fine."

"I consent," Snape spoke first, softly.

"As do I," Sprout raised her hand, and the Hufflepuff captain nodded.

"The same for me and our Captain," Flitwick squeaked.

"I consent," McGonagall stated, though the line her pursed lips made could have declared otherwise.

"Well I don't!" Harry was disgusted with the other captains for allowing such a thing. "Not at all!"

"Potter," McGonagall barked sharply. "Contain yourself—there's nothing we can do, it's in the rules."

"_If_ all of the captains put in consent—and I don't! And she belongs to _my_ house so _I _have the finally say!"

"Now really, Potter, let's not go grasping at the past. Things have changed—everybody knows it," Malfoy resisted his smug smirk.

Harry didn't resist pulling out his wand.

"Enough!" McGonagall stepped forward and ripped Harry's wand from his grasp. "You are out of line, Potter!"

"He's the one that's out of line!" Harry pointed to Malfoy frantically. He _had _to make them see—"Don't you see what he's _doing_! Are you all so _blind_!"

"Perhaps _you're _the blind one, Potter," Draco stated softly.

"This is getting out of hand," Madam Hooch confronted Dumbledore. "Potter, it's in the rules—he has every right to choose _any _student she wishes as a substitute. Continue with this very _un_sportsman-like behavior, and I'll be forced to disqualify Gryffindor from the next match immediately."

Harry looked from Hooch to McGonagall to Dumbledore, then over to Ginny, who met his gaze coolly. "Fine," he said, looking to Malfoy. "Take her," he spun around and stalked from the office angrily, leaving his confiscated wand in Professor McGonagall's hand.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"You and her are about the same size," Draco eyed Ginny when she walked out of the Slytherin changing rooms. "You look good in green."

Ginny smiled and mounted her broom. "Wait until the red of my hair and the green of the robes blend together."

Thanking Merlin that Sloan allowed her to use her broom so Ginny wouldn't completely embarrass herself in front of her own team; she kicked off from the ground. The power of the broom was new to her, the speed a rush, and she contented in circling the pitch a couple of times to get a feel for it.

She had forgotten how much she utterly loved flying, and decided to show off a bit by diving around the others, no one realizing that she had the Quaffle until it was no longer in the other chaser's hands.

The girl flew over to Malfoy who sat above them, observing. "The girl is good," she stated.

"I agree," Draco nodded. He raised his eyebrows upon witnessing Ginny chuck the Quaffle through the left hoop from halfway down the field. He cupped his hands around his mouth, flying higher towards the center of the pitch. "Nice, Red, nice shot! Let's see it again!"

It took Ginny a couple more tries to make the same goal, through the center hoop this time, but when she succeeded it flew through just as flawlessly as it had before.

He had them run some drills, becoming more and more amazed at her abilities with each passing minute. He called his team down when a patch of red from down below stepped onto the field.

"You've hogged the field long enough, Malfoy, it's our turn."

He sneered at the boy. "Is it now? Well I just happen to have written consent to use the field for the rest of the week. We _are _training in a new player, in case you forgot," he nodded his head towards Ginny, who now stood beside him.

"I hadn't," Harry growled through clenched teeth. His team narrowed their eyes at Ginny as if on command.

Ginny turned to Malfoy, hooking her arm through his. "Why don't we just let them use it?" she glanced over to her fellow Gryffindors. "They could use the practice."

Malfoy nodded to his team, which exited the field through the cloud of Gryffindors, pushing and jabbing every chance they could.

"Bloody gits," Harry hissed, mounting his broom and taking off.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"_Accio_ feather!" Ginny cried for the fifth time. The feather didn't move. "Gah!" she kicked the chair next to her. "Ouch!"

"Are you putting emotion into it?"

"Yes! I'm _mad_!"

"Well that's beside the point, we all know you're a bit loopy—but put some _emotion_ into it."

Ginny looked at Blaise blankly. "Haha."

Blaise smiled. "Try again."

"This is pointless—obviously I can't summon it without a wand."

"That's stupid," Blaise pointed out. "Why would you be able to destroy it and not…oh…" realization dawned on his face. "Try to obliterate it again."

Ginny stared at the feather. "Stupid feather. Won't summon to me. Stupid, bloody—_Obliterate_!"

With a small poof the feather flew up in flames. Ashes sat on the table were the feather had previously been.

Another feather appeared in its place. "Try another one. Draco has taught you destroying spells hasn't he?" Ginny nodded. "Try it."

Ginny shook her head. "I can't do it, I never twist right—"

"It's not important if you're not using a wand."

Ginny looked at him, unsure, then over to the feather. " _Diffringo_ _dolui_!" she chanted. The feather floated to the ground unharmed, landing in a hole where the table once stood. "Oops."

"Close enough," Blaise shrugged. "Just promise me that if I'm fighting someone and I ask for your help you'll pick _any _spell but that one."

Ginny laughed. "Agreed."

He walked over to stand beside her, eyeing the hole in the floor. "Poor table."

"Glad you weren't fighting it, aren't you?"

"Haha, you bet," Blaise chucked. Ginny glanced to him out of the corner of her eye quickly when she felt his hand on her arm. "You're doing great," he informed her softly.

Ginny smiled, feeling it falter some as his hand ran down her arm to her own. "Thanks."

"I can't even imagine what powers run through these veins," he murmured, tracing the veins from her wrist to her forearm. Ginny suppressed a shudder. He turned her towards him.

"Blaise—" she started. She never finished; he silenced her with a swift kiss. Instead of pulling away, when the kiss was broken he stayed rooted right where he was, taking Ginny's face in his hands. "You're amazing," Ginny felt herself blushing. "Now, with your powers developing, _and_ before, when you knew nothing about them."

He made to kiss her again. Ginny backed away slowly, trying not to offend the boy. Her back hit the wall. _Why, bloody WHY, do I ALWAYS manage to get myself up against a wall in situations like this!_ Ginny mentally kicked herself, and then again when she realized that Blaise was kissing her and she was just standing there, mentally yelling at herself like a fool.

"Blaise," she whispered, pulling away from him as much as she could without knocking herself out. "Blaise I can't—"

"Do you know," he interrupted her; his voice was soft and full of longing, and his eyes seemed to be on fire. "What it's like to want something so badly and not be able to have it?"

Ginny felt pity and understanding swell up inside of her. She thought of Draco. She nodded to him, trying to get him to understand without actually having to talk to him.

"Then you know," he continued, "how satisfying it feels when you finally get it," he kissed her again, and Ginny gave in, wrapping her arms around his neck.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

He pulled away from her, trying only barely to hide the disgusted look on his face, and failing excellently. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I miss you, Drakey," Pansy simpered, running a hand down his still damp chest. It felt like nothing compared to when Ginny had done it.

"And?" he backed away from her.

"And what? Can't things just be the way they were? Before that whole little episode last summer?"

"You _cheated _on me!" Draco exclaimed. "With _Flint_!" he had just showered after practice, but the fact that Pansy Parkinson had just sullied his lips was enough to make him want to scour his pale skin with boiling water until it was raw. "Not as if it mattered, anyhow," he spoke the truth—he had been quite elated to discover that Pansy had found another boy toy to obsess over.

"It's the Weasley girl, isn't it?" Pansy's eyes flickered; she put her hands on her hips in an impatient fashion. "I won't have that blood-traitor _trash_ stealing my boyfriend," she hissed.

"I'm not you're boyfriend! Go find someone else! Don't you get that I _never_ wanted you?"

She seemed unaffected by his harsh claims. "It's that Weasley," she answered her own question. "I'll put a stop to this! I'll—"

He didn't know what she was going to do—she stopped talking when he gripped her throat and pinned her to the wall. "You let her alone, you understand me?" he was barely talking, but each syllable seethed with anger and menacing threats. "You leave her alone, or you'll understand the _true _meaning of the word pain."

He pulled away from her and turned to walk away, wiping his hand on his robe as he went.

"We'll see!" she called after him. He ignored her. "We'll see who you come back to!"

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Blaise's roaming hands snapped Ginny back to reality. _This is wrong! _She thought frantically. _This needs to stop!_

She was about to break away and tell him this when his smooth voice filled her mind. '_You're amazing…Do you know what it's like to want something so bad and not be able to have it?'_ Guilt and pity flooded her conscience and she barely noticed when Blaise pulled away.

"What?" he asked.

Ginny blinked at him. "…What?"

"You said my name…" he claimed.

Ginny cocked her head to the side. "No…"

"…Yes…" he argued.

"Ha, no I didn't."

"I heard you."

Ginny shook her head, thoroughly confused.

"Whatever," Blaise laughed, closing the space between them. "It's not important," he breathed, kissing her again.

"Hold up," Ginny pulled back. "I can't do this."

Blaise looked away, then back to her. When he did the look that had occupied his face had vanished. Ginny had seen his eyes before he had masked what they stated: a look that said he new that was coming.

"You might have said something sooner," he bit out; from the sound of his voice Ginny could tell that he was pissed, disappointed, and trying (but failing) to hide these emotions from her.

"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered, feeling like an utter tease. "I…" she cleared her throat. "I have feelings for Draco," she finished quietly.

He nodded. "I know…" he stroked her cheek in an almost sad manner and straightened, backing away from Ginny. His face was stony and his voice was curt, but soft. "And I apologize for putting you in that position."

"It's alright," Ginny gave him a small smile. "I'm used to having my back against a wall."

Blaise quirked an eyebrow at this statement.

"No!" she denied quickly. "I—oh, never mind. It's okay," she repeated softly, attempting to shrug it off, but Ginny found that, like Malfoy's kisses, his were difficult to put from mind. "Don't worry about it."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"_You kissed her!" _

"_Calm down, mate," Blaise tried to sooth his friend._

_Draco pushed him to the ground, pulling out his wand. "You know I fancy her!"_

"_She stopped me!" he offered, searching discretely for his own wand but finding it nowhere._

"_It's doesn't matter—you're _supposed _to be my _friend_!" Malfoy accused. He directed his wand at the boy's heart._

"_Draco, stop it!" Ginny tugged at his arm, trying to redirect where the wand was aimed. He shrugged her off._

"_Avada Kedavra!" he shouted. Blaise went limp. Ginny gasped. He turned to her, pocketing his wand and taking her hand. "I did it for us," he explained, "so there are no more things to keep us apart."_

"_Draco…" Ginny sighed sadly. "There's still so much."_

_He pulled her close and kissed her with more passion than any of their previous snog-sessions combined._

"_I love you, Draco," she informed him._

"_Love means nothing," he replied._

Something heavy fell on Ginny's chest. She awoke to find a great black owl sitting on her. A look around showed that the owl had woken her dorm mates as well. They glared at the bird which tired hostility. She stroked his feathers approvingly.

"You woke them all up," she murmured to the bird, snickering. The eagle-owl's eyes seemed to glint with amusement. "What have you got for me, then?" The bird offered his leg to her.

'_Are you alright? Meet me in the Astronomy_ _Tower_—_now_'

Ginny sighed, rising and pulling cloak around her. She didn't stop when her dorm mates questioned her, nor when they protested yet another one of her midnight plights. She simply informed them to 'Sod off and stay out of it' on her way out the door.

Xavion took off through the open window, and when Ginny arrived to the tower ten minutes later, she found Draco sitting against the wall, petting his bird.

"My mates looked ready to kill your owl," she informed him, taking a seat next to him and stroking the beautiful eagle-owl.

He smirked. "He would have taken off six fingers before they finished the task."

Ginny chuckled, which turned into a sleepy yawn. "Your message was gobble-de-gook. What did you want?"

"I was wondering if you were okay…" he looked concerned and confused, as if he wasn't sure why she didn't understand the cryptic message.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Ginny received a blank look from Draco. "What? You…Ginny you called me…"

"I…what?"

"I heard you…in my head…calling my name. I thought something was wrong."

"No, I—I can do that?"

"Apparently."

"Oh…" Ginny blushed slightly. "No, I was dreaming about you and I was—oh, not like that!" her explanation became an exclamation when she saw Malfoy's raised eyebrows and growing smirk.

"Okay so…this is how many powers you have now?"

Ginny listed them on her fingers. "I can blow things up without a wand…and…call?" She wasn't sure what to name the second one.

"Telepathy," he corrected. "Slightly."

Ginny nodded, burning the word into her memory. "Well, sorry to wake you up…"

"I wasn't asleep."

"Do you _ever_ sleep?"

"No. I told you that."

Ginny eyed him suspiciously. "Your hair seems awfully tussled for _not_ being asleep.

He scowled at her. "Just because I don't sleep that doesn't mean I can't lie down—what, do you expect that I stand all night?"

"Well I don't know _what_ you do!" Ginny defended herself. "I mean besides getting _drunk_—hey!" she hit his arm triumphantly. "You slept that night!"

"That wasn't _sleeping_, Red, that would be passing out. There's a distinct difference," he notified her, an indignant look on his face.

"Do you pride yourself on never sleeping or something?" she asked incredulously.

He didn't respond to this, but continued to stroke his owl's feathers gently. Ginny had never seen him show that much care to _anything_, not even her. _He should carry his bird around 24/7._ Ginny mused. _He looks so peaceful…_

A low sound emitted from the back of his throat—a soft coo—before he raised his hand and Xavion flew off.

He sighed and fell back against the wall, resting his head against the cool stone. He stole a glance to Ginny from the corner of his eye; she was staring at him. He straightened. "What?"

She quickly returned to the cold tower where they resided at Malfoy's sharp question. "Huh?" she looked around, and felt blood fly to her cheeks as she realized that he had seen her staring at him.

"The look," he said. "On your face…what was that?"

Ginny wasn't quite sure what kind of look she had been wearing, so she shrugged. "I was just thinking."

"About me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "A little conceited are we?"

"You _were_ staring at me," he pointed out. Ginny nodded.

"Yes…about you."

There was a brief silence. Then:

"What about me?"

Ginny shrugged again, taking a deep breath. "Oh…" she trailed off slightly, trying to put her thoughts into coherent statements. "Just noticing…" he prided himself on being the way he was, so Ginny tried to choose her words carefully. "…that you…seem to like your owl."

He glanced up to the rafters, where the bird had recently returned to, and nodded after a moment, a small smile on his face. "Yeah…my mum gave him to me right before I came here. Bought him from a place in Knockturn alley. Funny…he was the one that I had looking at during the past few trips there and my mum hadn't even noticed…picked him out because she thought he would match my robes," he gave a small huff of laughter and shook his head. "Stupid bint."

Ginny smiled at the memory, though it wasn't even her own, and wondered faintly what it felt like to always get what you wanted.

"He's taken a liking to you," he added after a small break in the conversation. "He usually barely sticks around someone long enough to get the message from him."

Ginny clicked her tongue a few times and Xavion glided down to her, landing on her raised knee. "Hey…" she greeted softly. "Hey there," she stroked his feathers. "I like him."

"Me too," Draco agreed softly. Ginny looked at him. '_You know I fancy her!'_ The words of her dream drifted though her mind.

"Blaise kissed me and you killed him," Ginny stated.

Malfoy looked at her, alarmed at the abnormality of her statement and at something else, it seemed. "What?"

"In my dream…Blaise kissed me and…you killed him."

"I wouldn't kill my friend for kissing my—friend," he faltered slightly, and it showed in the furious expression he wore. He had made a mistake, almost let something slip that shouldn't have been said, and he was furious at himself for it.

"Well, why would you?"

Draco looked at her; he knew she knew what he was about to say, and he didn't know what to say next. A helpless look fleeted across his features.

Ginny pitied him…she knew what it was like to get caught in something like that. "Of course," she pretended not to notice the expression he wore, "I _would _probably get pissed if one of my friends kissed you."

A smug, confident smirk flew across his face once again. "Why's _that_?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know…I just…would…isn't that enough for girls?"

Malfoy shook his head, his smirk growing. "Not even close."

Ginny sighed, wishing she hadn't wanted to make him feel better. "I suppose I would because…I like you…and I don't want anyone else to have that with you."

The words were so embarrassing to admit that Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying her hardest not to blush. His hand guided her chin to face him, and when she opened her eyes, he didn't look smug or confident—he looked happy…almost…_relieved_.

He leaned towards her, moving his cool hand to her neck as he captured her mouth in a sweet kiss. He didn't move away, but spoke exactly where he was; his warm breath caressing Ginny's cheek, his lips brushing her own as they formed words. "I don't know why I want you so much," he admitted.

Ginny couldn't speak; she closed the small space between them once again and kissed him, making sure to put a little fire into it.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

That's all for now…enjoy…please review! I just loooove feedback! Any requests on what should happen? Any guess on where it's all going? You're probably wrong, but lemme know anyhow!


	9. Everytime

She had told him that she fancied him—and he hadn't even been badgering her about it!

He had made a stupid, careless mistake, automatically getting defensive about her when she wasn't even his. But the thought of Blaise kissing her, even in a dream, made him furious.

He suddenly found himself thinking about him training her—alone in that room for hours—_their _room. He found himself contemplating confronting Ginny about what goes on during their lessons and, to his surprise, planning his mate's slow demise.

_It was just a dream. _He reasoned with himself, pushing the murderous thoughts from his head. _It didn't really happen._ But if it had…

Draco had seen the way Blaise looked at her. He heard the way he spoke her name. He heard him used the sweet laughter that he reserved especially for the ladies. He only hoped that his friend had a little more civility than to move in on something that so obviously belonged to Draco—even _if _she didn't acknowledge it.

_If he did…_Draco _would _murder him. _No one_ takes something that belongs to a _Malfoy_ and gets away with it—not without proper compensation.

They had stayed in the tower the rest of the night. Ginny lay comfortably against his chest; his arms were folded around her stomach, his face resting against the side of her head.

They sat in silence, with occasional whispers of the cool weather and late hour. When a chilly breeze shot through the tower around them and Ginny gave a small shiver, he wrapped his arms around her tighter still, in a warming embrace. She gave a small contented sigh occasionally, and every time she did Draco felt his own breath catch in his throat. Her scent tantalized his nose, and he found her shampoo to smell dizzily intoxicating.

He would murmur in her ear every now and then, in the same manner he talked to his owl. He knew she loved it, whether he made a comment about the upcoming Quidditch match or her impending meeting with the Dark Lord, during which time she would receive the mark.

"Are you scared?" he asked her when she had fallen silent over the recent small talk of the Dark Lord and the mark.

"_Are you scared?"_

"_No."_

"No," she answered. Her answer seemed confident enough, but she had been lying then and she was lying now; Draco knew it.

He ran his fingers through her silky hair slowly, letting the strands twist around his slender fingers, embracing them in their red locks. "You're lying," he informed her.

Ginny sighed. She should have known he would have seen right through her. "I've never been so scared."

His fingers paused. "Never?"

"_You've never _been _so scared."_

"Never," she confirmed; this time, he couldn't detect any falsehood.

A smile played across his lips, though she couldn't see it, he was sure it rang out in his response. "You sure about that?" He recalled her little visit to his dungeons over the summer, during which he had completely proved her wrong: She _had _been scared, with very good reason, and Draco had made sure that things stayed that way. He felt a small twinge of regret for his actions, but told himself that it had had to be done—she _did _break into his home looking for incriminating evidence, after all.

"Completely."

"Hmm," was all he said to that. He allowed his fingers to resume their journey through her beautiful curls, which seemed to be sparkling even in the dead of night. It made sense, Draco figured. She _had _been scared when she was in his possession, but he had been damn near _terrified _the night before he received the mark. It was something he wanted—surely something that he chose for himself, though Lucius would like to think that he had bullied him into it, but the prospect of offering his whole life to _one man_…His entire fate, and the fate of all he cared about was in the hands of _one man_, at the mercy of _one man_, at the _disposal _of _one man_…and he wasn't even a man. "You know this is the right thing to do, right?" Draco's own uncertainty made his suspicious that she was having doubts as well.

"Yes," the syllable was short and to the point, and just _asking _for Draco to mistrust her again. "It's my fate, isn't it?"

"That it is. And fate will find a way."

"When is this going to happen, anyways?" Ginny inquired.

Draco shrugged, watching how Ginny's body moved with him when he made the action. "Whenever he wants it to. Start of summer, I suspect, because we'll not have any other things to worry about except for him."

Ginny nodded, bits of her hair brushing against his face as she did so. He leaned forward, his lips right next to her ear. "I have dreams about you, too," he admitted to her. "A _lot _of dreams."

Ginny turned her head to face him, a small smile dancing across her lips. "Really?" he nodded confirmation. "Hmm…I've only had the one…"

He chuckled softly, catching her lips with his own. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her body closer to his. He laid her down on the cold stone gently, cradling her head with one of his hands as hit touched the ground. After a fair amount of groping on both parties counts, a soft hoot above them focused their minds again, realizing that they were still in the Astronomy Tower. They paused as a small piece of paper floated down to them. Draco moved from Ginny reluctantly and took up the note.

His eyes narrowed slightly, then widened upon reading the message from Blaise.

"What is it?" Ginny questioned.

Draco stared at Ginny, a violent emotion—jealousy he supposed—flying through his veins faster than his blood. He had the right to be jealous, didn't he? His emotion must have been mirrored in his expression, for Ginny's eyebrows furrowed as she asked again:

"D-Draco? What is it?"

He looked from the piece of parchment to Ginny, then dropped it to the ground. A small sounded escaped her lips when she looked down to what the message read:

'_Ginny just called me…'_

Part of Draco was furious mingled with jealously, obvious enough, but part of him felt…hurt. She had been thinking about Blaise while they were kissing? Draco no longer cared if those early morning hours lasted forever or rushed forward into the oncoming day. He no longer wanted her to lay in his arms all night, talking about nothing and not talking at all. He didn't even want to be around her.

"I—"

"Save it," everything he was thinking was stated in the two words, and Ginny looked taken aback.

"Draco—"

"I said stop," he commanded harshly, quietly. His voice oozed with hostility and shrewdness, as if he should have seen it coming. He should have; being a Slytherin automatically cursed him with a life where he could never truly have what he wanted.

Ginny stood there, staring at him with her mouth partially open, in disbelief at his tone towards her. He hadn't talked to her like that since…

"…_you _will _do what I say."_

"I don't want him," Ginny informed him after a moment. Draco didn't answer her, but turned his back to her and stared out the window of the tower. "I _don't_," Ginny repeated.

He was supporting his weight with his hands gripping the ledge, his head hung. He looked up. "Then, pray, tell my _why _you were thinking about him while we were snogging?"

Ginny didn't know what to tell him. By his reaction to her dream she most certainly couldn't tell him about Blaise earlier that week, but then what _could _she say to him? She found herself becoming annoyed that he was turned from her.

"Would you at least turn around and face me?" Ginny bit out.

Every muscle in his body tensed and he straightened, turning back to her slowly. "_Face _you? Why would _I _face _you_? You're the one with all the secrets. I have no reason to be ashamed to _face _you," he sneered angrily.

"Then why won't you?"

"What am I doing right now, Red?" his tone was still pretty harsh, harsher than he had intended, and Ginny looked hurt and fed up.

"You know what?" she glared at him. "I don't owe you an explanation at all," she turned from him, stalking away down the stairs quickly.

"Bloody _women_," Draco hissed, turning back to the starless sky, now tinged with orange and red in the east.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

The next few days were miserable for Ginny. She ate meals quickly, mostly just grabbing some food and leaving, either hiding out in the library or the Room of Requirements. She didn't focus in her lessons with Blaise, and when she did she did a very poor job. She couldn't sleep at night, but restrained herself from walking about, in order to avoid _him_. She lay in bed for hours, wide awake and very fidgety.

She wanted desperately to walk up to him in the hallways and start talking, but found that when she saw him she had no words to give to him. She missed him appearing next to her at the worst moments in her day, lacing his fingers with hers or draping a slender arm around her shoulders or waist. He always made it better, and worse, it seemed, at the exact same time.

_Truth is_, Ginny admitted to herself one afternoon in the library, _I'm happy with him…Draco Malfoy makes me happy…I want to be with him so bad_…she sighed, laying her head down on her untouched Charms book. _I hate this_.

Ginny felt more than heard him approach. She ignored him, knowing he was watching her. It seemed he knew that she knew he was there.

"What?" his quiet voice barked impatiently. Ginny turned around and glared at him.

"_What_?" she mimicked his question.

"You called me."

Ginny kicked herself—physically _kicked _herself—under the table. She looked at him sheepishly. "I…I didn't mean to."

He narrowed his eyes, scowling at her. "Well watch your thoughts," he snapped before turning and walking away briskly.

"I would if I could," she muttered to no one bitterly.

It happened four nights after their fight. Ginny turned restlessly in her bed. _Oh sod it all._ She thought, suddenly angry at herself for letting him keep her in her bed when she very clearly needed to walk. _I don't even care_.

Her dorm mates were either asleep, didn't care, or didn't say anything. Either way all was silent as Ginny crept out of Gryffindor Tower. She decided it was too cold to go outside, since it was the second week of November, so she walked aimlessly through the halls. Footsteps echoed all around, and she knew that not all of them belonged to her.

Almost praying that it was Filch or Snape, Ginny straightened herself and walked confidently around the corner—

And right into Draco.

"Watch it!" he hissed quickly. His eyes raked over her appearance; Ginny knew she looked horrible.

"Maybe _you _should watch it."

He glared at her coldly, making to pass her. His footsteps stopped as Ginny's voice rang out behind him.

"I'm sorry."

He turned to her slowly and Ginny sauntered over to him. Standing before him, she wished she hadn't said anything and had let him continue on his way. It was so _hard_…"I'm sorry," she said again. She felt tears swell up in her eyes. Trying to force them away without being obvious, she took a deep breath, staring hardly at him. She touched his arm; he stood before her unmoving.

She took another breath, let it out, and breathed again. It seemed it was taking her entire brain to make sure she was getting the oxygen her body needed. "It's been Hell," she confided to him. "I felt so lost," she felt weak upon admitting the words out loud, and by the look in Malfoy's eyes it was obvious that she sounded and looked weak as well. "Blaise…" something flashed through his eyes upon hearing the name from Ginny's lips. "Blaise kissed me."

There was a sharp intake of breath by Draco, probably as he was trying to stay calm; the expression he wore showed plainly that he was fighting a battle in his head. Then there was silence again.

"It…it didn't go far…but when we were kissing…it's nothing compared to when you kiss me."

His eyes had softened, but they still stared a hole through her. He leaned down and granted her a soft kiss. Sparks flew through Ginny's body.

"I told him," she continued. "I told him I have feelings for you," his expression had changed completely; a look of longing took his eyes, and he seemed peaceful upon hearing the words. _I love you_, she added softly in her head, longing to speak the words to him.

His eyes flickered up to her own quickly, somewhat surprised, though pleased. He gave her another gentle kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Sighing softly, he murmured in her ear: "You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes and her eyes everywhere in the world."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

That's all for tonight…bit shorter than usual, I think, but hey—look at the content right! Haha…hope you like it…lemme know…

Draco's last words are actually a quote from David Levesque. I went through at least 70 different quotes looking for a non-sappy Sissy McNancy-Pants way for Draco to express his feelings for Ginny, finally decided on that one, thinking it was the cutest of all and deciding that I would probably melt if a guy said that to me. Hehe…

_**Review por favor!**_


	10. Walk the Walk

"Quidditch game today," he needn't have reminded her.

Ginny gave a yawning "Uh-huh," while reaching for her orange juice.

"Tired, Red?"

"I shouldn't have gone out last night," she stifled a second yawn.

"I'm glad you did," he informed her quietly.

Ginny felt herself blush. She did that a lot around Malfoy. "I'll be fine once I get outside," she continued, disregarding his last comment. Ginny felt a hand residing high up on her thigh—and it _wasn't_ hers.

"_Really_ glad," he smirked at Ginny's flustered expression; she was growing redder by the second and Malfoy's hand was—

"We should get changed!" Ginny jumped up. Draco chuckled, standing as well.

"I suppose…"

They met on the steps once they had retrieved their Quidditch gear and trudged down to the changing rooms.

"Slytherin—Gryffindor today," Malfoy watched her from the corner of his eye.

"I know," Ginny seemed unaffected in knowing that she was about to compete against her own house.

"Let's give them a show then, eh?"

Ginny mirrored his smirk and nodded.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Captains shake hands!" commanded Hooch.

Neither of them made an effort to move, but stood like statues, staring one another down.

"Captains!" she barked. "_Shake hands_!"

They stood still for another moment, finally complying, though both of their demeanors showing that it was a most reluctant gesture.

"I want a fair game from _all_ of you," she gave a meaningful look from Harry to Ginny; Harry acted as if she weren't even present. Ginny sneered.

The teams mounted their brooms.

Ginny put all of her concentration into her thoughts, rather than the whistle Madam Hooch was about to blow.

_Let's do this_; she concentrated on making Draco hear her. _You'll be spectacular._

A slight movement of his head indicated that he had indeed received her thoughts, and before Ginny could think of anything else to say to him, the whistle was blown.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Ginny recovered the falling Quaffle, quickly spinning around and rushing over to the hoops. She threw and scored easily; Ron seemed to become more and more flustered with each goal she got on him.

A loud roar from the crowds caused Ginny to spin about, scanning the air around her for the source of the action. She didn't have to look long.

"_Potter and Malfoy neck and neck in a dive for the Snitch!" _she heard the announcer yelling and found the two of them, indeed neck and neck, in a steep dive for the golden prize. She looked at the scoreboard. If she could score three more times before the Snitch was caught it would be useless to the Gryffindors. She looked for the quaffle and found Corinne heading towards the hoops.

_Corinne!_ Ginny called her. The girl halted in her place, looking about wildly. _Over here!_

Ginny was still relatively close to the goals, she flew forward a few feet to ensure that it arrived safely in her arms, then flew forward, straight on to the center hoop.

Ron followed her, blocking the center hoop widely. Ginny held fast to the Quaffle until she came nearly fifteen feet from the hoops, then chucked it to her right. It flew through flawlessly.

"_Ten points to Slytherin! Potter and Malfoy still after the Snitch—oh, seems they've lost sight of it now." _Harry and Draco sat above the game on opposite ends of the field. Draco was near Ginny; she could see determination and focus flashing in his eyes. His eyes scanned only for the Snitch, passing over Ginny as if she weren't in front of him.

_Don't look so serious. _Ginny thought. He glanced over to her. _You'll find it—_

"_Slytherin chasers are on fire today! Ten points to Slytherin_!" the announcer caught both of their attentions.

_Before long Potter won't even bother trying to get it for himself._ _One more goal and it wouldn't do them any good_.

She saw Draco nod slightly and could almost feel him relaxing slightly, though he still scanned the air the Snitch possessively.

He didn't have to wait for the third goal from Slytherin before he caught sight of the Snitch. Harry saw this and dove after him, flying from the opposite side of the field to the Snitch, which resided in the middle.

"_This is it, it seems!_" the announcer called. "_Gryffindor's last chance to get this without having to score anymore, Slytherin's chance to beat Gryffindor—a feat which hasn't been accomplished since Potter joined the Gryffindor team_!"

_Come on, Draco!_ The game had stopped, everyone hung suspended in air, not breathing, not moving, only watching the two Seekers battle.

_Come on, just a little more! You've almost got it, just a little more! You can do this, I know you can!_ Ginny saw him lean down on his broom more, becoming more aero-dynamic, and could see his lips moving, urging his broom faster towards Slytherin's possible victory.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"I think I'll keep this," he drawled lazily, toying with the small winged ball in his hand. "As a memento, you know?"

Ginny smiled and nodded, hooking her arm through his own as they entered the castle.

"You helped me a lot," he informed her. "Your thoughts…gave me further motivation to whip Potter senseless."

Ginny gave a short laugh to this, sighing deeply. "I knew you could do it. You just had to be reminded."

"Oh I knew I could too…but thanks," he squeezed her arm slightly, automatically heading towards the Slytherin Common Room.

Ginny made to move away, but he wouldn't allow it. "It doesn't matter," he told her upon hearing the word Gryffindor pass through his mind. "You are part of this team and part of this victory—you celebrate with the rest of us."

The Snitch buzzed around the Common Room, swooping in between the ecstatic students.

"A great triumph for Slytherin today," Snape announced as he entered through the portrait hole. The room didn't quiet down, but roared even louder. He waited a moment until they settled. "Owed greatly to our seeker," more applause and cheering for Draco, "As well as our chasers," whoops and whistles sounded for the three girls, all of which beaming and blushing. The professor went disregarded after this, and he made his way over to Ginny, pulling her aside. Ginny wasn't sure how she felt about this gesture.

"A most captivating performance," he commented, eyeing her with an emotion Ginny couldn't place. "One would wonder why a Gryffindor such as yourself would compete against your own team—and so fiercely—for the Slytherins."

Was he questioning her motives? Ginny wasn't sure how to answer. "Sloan was injured. Draco needed my help."

"There are plenty of Slytherins that could have filled the spot. You think he came to you as a last resort?"

Ginny hesitated. "What…what are you saying, Professor?" she was thoroughly confused.

They both felt Draco's watching eyes. "Just congratulating you on a match well played," he nodded to her, making to back away. "And thanking you for your devotion to my House," he lowered his voice, leaning a tad closer to her. "I think ten points for Gryffindor is in order," he muttered coolly, nodding farewell to her before heading over to the exit. Draco stepped over to her, but Snape spoke before he could.

"I understand how thrilled you all are over the match, but do remember that there _are_ classes tomorrow, and while I honestly don't care, I want none of you hungover in _my_ class."

He exited, and Ginny found that a few bottles of fire whiskey had been produced from somewhere. Draco called the team around, holding a bottle high.

"I want to first congratulate my team," he nodded to the respected persons, "for their brilliant performance: Michael, you had some excellent saves out there," the keeper nodded, "Crabbe, Goyle, really appreciated that bludger aimed to the Weasel King's head, just a pity it missed," he sighed sadly and Crabbe and Goyle guffawed at the memory. "Corinne, Chelsea, and Gin: you three were absolutely _spectacular_," he gave Ginny a meaningful look as the Common Room roared once again. "And of course a magnificent show by I, as the seeker and captain," he added, receiving laughs and shouts from all. He raised the bottle higher. "To the defeat of Gryffindor after five ex_cru_ciating, in_tol_erable, _mis_erable, painful years!" They cheered to this as Draco took a pull from the bottle. "And to every defeat from here on out!"

He threw the bottle to the keeper, Michael, who promptly took a hearty pull and tossed it to Goyle. The beaters, in turn, took drinks and passed the bottle unto the chasers.

Before Ginny knew it, she was holding the fire whiskey, all eyes on her expectantly. She glanced to Malfoy, smirking. "Trying to get me drunk, are you?" she asked him.

"Hey," he laughed. "At least I'm including you this time!"

Ginny laughed. "This is true," she admitted, taking a long pull of the ghastly alcohol. She resisted coughing as the liquid flowed down her throat, burning all the way down. Her eyes watered. "Woah," she gave a shudder. "Wow, that stuff is strong."

The night was a blur from there on out. Ginny recalled dancing to some music that someone had produced, chatting with the team about their performance and the look on Potter's face as Draco grasped the Snitch; what stood out in her head most vividly was the memory of Draco and Blaise standing in the corner, an impassive look on Draco's face, and Blaise's apologetic eyes. He had mumbled to Draco quietly for a few minutes before Draco gave him a sharp nod. The gesture must have meant that he accepted his apology, because Blaise had looked relieved.

She awoke in Draco's private dorm, lying in his bed, snuggled up close to him. Her immediate thought was a shocking one, but upon glancing down she found that, other than her robes, she was completely dressed.

"Draco," she nudged him. He didn't move. "_Draco_," she pushed him harder.

"Mmm?"

"We're going to miss breakfast."

"Mmm," he rolled over, ignoring her warning.

Ginny sighed. "I know you'll regret not getting breakfast. _Please_ don't make me do it…"

"Mmm!" his annoyed grunt was muffled slightly by the pillow he had pulled over his head.

"Fine…" Ginny took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on Draco alone. _WAKE UP!_ She bellowed in her mind.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know if it worked or not—she heard him fall out of bed.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

I know it's rather short and long-awaited, but I haven't really had time to write lately, but I suppose it doesn't matter if I would have had it done, because the log in page and review box have been acting really goofy for me…have you guys been having problems? I've started work again (sigh) and now the weekend is over (deep sigh). So…lemme what you think please?

Again, if you have requests of what you want to happen….

Oh, the song list:

Chapter 6: Past Lives by **Level 42  
**Chapter 7: Head Over Feet by **Alanis** **Morisette  
**Chapter 8: Dirty Little Secret by **The** **All American Rejects  
**Chapter 9: Every time by **Brittany Spears  
**Chapter 10: Walk the Walk by **Poe**


	11. New Tricks

"You aren't concentrating."

Ginny fumed. "Well it's _boring_!"

Blaise scoffed at the girl he was supposed to be training, rolling his eyes as he fell onto a cushy chair. "Only _you_, Miss Priss, could find blowing inanimate objects to pieces _boring_."

Ginny scowled at him. "Well after a _time_," she huffed. "I've been blowing up the table for _how _long now?"

"Well…" he seemed at a loss for what to say. "Try…something else," he waved his hand dismissively.

"Like _what_?" Ginny plopped down on a conveniently placed couch.

Blaise's eyes seemed vacant, as if he were really racking his brain for some other kind of power she could possibly have.

"I have a question," this statement seemed to yank him back to the room. "How come these powers…how come I haven't been able to use them before this?"

"Well…have you ever tried? I mean it's possible that you have the power to use them, but can't unless consciously pulling it from within you. Who knows how many different things you could do? I mean right now it seems almost practical to try anything and everything."

Ginny sighed, burying her face in her hands tiredly. "Everything could take an _awful_ long time."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Miss Weasley, do wake up, I don't want to have to send yet _another_ Gryffindor to the Hospital Wing because they've gone and drowned themselves in their own cauldron."

Ginny's foggy mind jerked back to the cauldron before her. "S-sorry, Professor," she stifled a yawn.

"Why are _you _so tired?" Corinne asked her, reaching over and snatching a handful of Ginny's porcupine quills. "I'm borrowing these," she added as she threw said quills into her steaming cauldron.

Ginny resisted scowling at the thieving Slytherin and grumbled, "I was up late last night," she wasn't quick enough to stifle the second yawn and heard it echo throughout the classroom. People looked around quizzically. "_Very_ late," she corrected.

"You and Draco seem to be getting along then," the girl smirked, removing the spoon from Ginny's potion and stirring her own with it. "Mine melted last week," she explained unnecessarily; Ginny had been there. She recalled ducking, startled, as Corinne, who had already been in a foul mood that morning, had chucked a container of bubertuber pus in a fury.

Ginny found a small smile on her lips at the thought, but shook her head. "No, with Blaise. _Not _like _that_," she added, frowning, upon seeing the engrossed and scandalized look on the Slytherin's face. "He's helping me study," she found the lie easily. "And he's a bloody tyrant when it comes to getting stuff down."

It was true. The damned wanker of a boy at kept her in that blasted room until after one in the morning, insisting she try every silly thing he thought up, with even more persistency at each of her yawns.

"Hmm," was all the girl said. Ginny could tell she was disappointed that she didn't get to hear in full detail exactly _what _Draco had kept her up so late doing. Though Ginny disliked the chaser vaguely, she felt an annoyed pity towards the girl.

"Well…" Ginny took a deep breath. _I can't believe I'm going to talk to another Slytherin about Malfoy…eekgads…_ "Things _are _coming along quite nicely…I guess you could say that Draco and I are kind of…seeing each other," Ginny shrugged as though the entire prospect of the conversation didn't interest her in the slightest, but felt her stomach burn at the thought of her and Malfoy actually _dating_.

She let herself drift off, not into an actual sleep, but a sort of day-dream. She heard his voice in the deepest parts of her mind: that soothing, promising voice that could send her into a hypnotic trance at the drop of a hat. She actually _felt _his hands running through her hair, gliding down her arms, around her waist, and felt her face warm with the breaths he was releasing slowly against her mouth.

"Gin!" Ginny looked around, startled.

"Wha?"

"Are you feeling okay, Ginny?" _No_, Ginny thought bitterly, her eyes narrowing. _I'm not, seeing as how you've just snatched the last of my Billywig stings!_ She thought vehemently. "I brushed your hand when I was reaching over here just now and you're—you're _burning_!" the girl gasped. She touched Ginny's forehead. "Maybe you should go see Madam Pomphrey…"

Ginny looked at the girl strangely, placing her own hand against her face. "I feel fine," Ginny gave Corinne an odd look, running her hands all along her face to test the temperature of her skin. "Perfectly fine."

"You look a little red in the face too," Corinne pointed out.

_Because I'm blushing at the thought of Draco and I—_Ginny stopped the thought sheepishly. "Well there you have it. I would be pale if I were ill, wouldn't I?"

"Not necessarily—" the Slytherin started.

"Look, I'm fine, alright?" Ginny hadn't meant to snap at the girl, but she was so _frustrating_. She snatched her spoon out of the girl's cauldron, sending small drops of the unfinished Ageing Potion spattering about. Ginny sighed at Corinne's offended scowl. "Just drop it, please. I'm sorry, but I'm very irritable when I'm tired."

It was a lame apology, and Ginny knew it, and though the girl she was supposed to be amiable with nodded slightly, she thought she heard a muttered 'Well _obviously_' in a bitter tone.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Two weeks and four days. Just keep repeating it. Two weeks and four days, two weeks and four days," Ginny plunked down beside Draco at lunch. "I can't _wait_ for the holidays to start."

He chuckled softly. "Sorry to disappoint you, pet, but its two weeks and _five _days."

Ginny shook her head. "I wasn't counting today."

"Neither was I."

Ginny dropped her head unto her empty plate, groaning. "Then could you _please_ tell Zabini to give it a rest and let me _sleep_ tonight?"

Malfoy eyed his chum, raising an eyebrow.

"It's important!" the boy defended himself. He dropped his voice. "He's going to want to know that you've been working _very_ hard on your powers, and he won't be all too happy that all you can do it poof away small objects and budge into people's thoughts."

"I have the whole rest of the year, don't I?" She looked from a confused Blaise to a suddenly uneasy Draco. "_Right_?" she asked the latter through gritted teeth.

"I was going to tell you. I really was."

"When, per say?"

"In two weeks and three days, but since you're onto it then…" Draco sighed in an uncharacteristic manner. "He wants you over the holidays."

"What do you mean 'wants me over—"

"To receive the Mark," Blaise interrupted her quietly. "And to test your abilities, as well as to see your, er…progress…which isn't much," he added sourly under his breath.

Ginny's mouth dropped. She turned to Draco, swatting his arm—_hard_. "I thought you said he would wait until summer!" she hissed, hitting his arm with more intensity with every word.

"I thought he would, love, you can't blame _me _for this! What am I supposed to do, read his bleeding mind? _Honestly_."

Ginny straightened, cocking her head to the side. "Say it again," she demanded.

Draco looked from her to Blaise, and back to her warily.

"Say it again," she repeated. "The last word. Once more, same way."

Though he furrowed his brow, he repeated the word with the same exasperation he had used a minute ago. "_Honestly_…"

Ginny howled with laughter, startling both Draco and Blaise, and several other Slytherins around her. "Haha, you! Haha!" she snorted, in a very un-ladylike fashion, which only caused her to laugh all the harder. When she was finally able to control herself, she turned to a very confused and fearful looking Malfoy. "You just sounded—" she snorted and broke into a fit of giggles again. "Sounded _exactly_" snort "just like" snort, giggle. "_HERMIONE_!"

Draco Malfoy's jaw dropped in a mingled look of disgust and absurdity. "Never!" he gasped, glancing around to make sure no one else had heard the accusation. Blaise was laughing as well, though more at the fact that his mate's girlfriend couldn't stop snorting.

"Hush you!" he hissed to her, still looking about frantically. He thought of every way he might be able to shut the lunatic up and smirked. "Say _Ginny_," he addressed her innocently. Ginny stopped giggling and looked at him. Draco Malfoy trying to be innocent _definitely _wasn't a good thing for her. "You weren't thinking about me during Potions at all, now, were you?"

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Draco lay in bed, more awake than he had ever been in his life. Ginny was to receive the Mark over Christmas holidays, to prove her true allegiance to the Dark Lord, and Draco had a sneaking suspicion that she wasn't prepared to handle it. She was to show him the powers that she had developed, which wasn't much, and he felt a twinge of panic at the thought of her confronting him once more.

It was likely that Ginny could be killed, or severely tortured if she messed up, and it was all because Draco had asked her to.

_It was to save my family, and my own skin_, he reassured himself when the guilt crept up into his mind. _She understands that…she _did _agree to it, after all…_

But no matter what he told himself, that Ginny chose it, that she was strong enough to handle it, that she would, in fact, be able to betray the Order, his mind always settled uneasily on the fact that she was doing it for his sake.

He felt overcome with annoyance at his uncharacteristic, guilt-ridden soul, and growled softly in frustration, tugging at his hair. _She can't be like this…she can't have this life. She doesn't deserve it._

Draco wondered if she was as troubled over the fact as he was. _I won't let her do it_, he vowed silently. _The powers she has could likely destroy the world. Ginny Weasley will not be like me_.

Draco shifted, resting his hands upon his stomach. He glimpsed the evil symbol that marred the perfect skin of his left arm. The symbol reminded him exactly _why _Ginny was preparing to give up everything she had to follow the Dark Lord.

_But there's no other way_…

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In the two weeks to come, Ginny was pleased to discover that she could heal minor injuries by simply concentrating on the damaged injury being recovered. It had worked for a scratch she had received from Crookshanks, as well as a small cut she had gotten from a slight mishap with her quill. Slightly disappointed, though she was, that she couldn't heal the unsightly scrape on her elbow from her tumble down the stairs, Blaise was ecstatic that she was able to perform more tricks for his Master.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny needn't turn to know who spoke.

"What do _you _think I'm doing in the Owlery?"

"Who are _you _writing to?" he sneered slightly, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.

"My mum. I just let her know that I have a lot of work to do in Potions yet, so I had better stay at the castle over break."

"And when they discover that's not where you are?"

"Everyone else is going home," she sighed slightly. Draco wasn't sure if it were because she was content with this, or secretly wanted to be with her family. "When do we leave?"

"Same night as everyone else."

"Wow…okay, pretty soon then."

"Too soon?"

"No, no, I just…not much time to get adjusted to the fact…" she trailed off.

"You've had _two weeks_!"

"Two weeks can go by fast!" Ginny defended herself, turning around to face him.

He touched her cheek softly. "You're not scared, are you?"

Ginny scoffed at him. "Of course not."

A small smirk captured his lips, and Ginny knew that he doubted her answer, which had been offered a little too quickly to be entirely convincing. "It's okay, you know. You don't have to be completely alright with…that…I mean you shouldn't be _excited_ or anything…"

"I'm not scared," Ginny confirmed softly. "There's no reason to be, right?"

Draco looked at her for a moment, the thoughts he'd been having for the past two weeks swimming through his head, forcing their way to his lips. "No," he answered after a moment.

Even he didn't realize how much he was lying.

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"Ginny Weasley," his voice grated into her ears, like a fork to a plate, causing her to nearly wince and shiver at the sounds. "Or should I say, Desdemona?"

Ginny looked up at him, hating him even more for calling her that. _That's not who I am_, Ginny fumed mentally, careful to make sure she kept her thoughts within her own mind. _I may have her powers, but that's _not _who I am!_

"You want to say something. Go ahead, say it. You will not be punished—this time."

Ginny wondered if he was testing her in some way, and, figuring it would be completely characteristic of him, shook her head slightly. "I have nothing to say."

He eyed her before his eyes turned to Draco. "A wise decision."

A glance over showed Draco and Blaise looking almost relieved, and Ginny felt a burst of pride swell through her that she hadn't managed to disappoint them in the first two minutes.

"In two days time," Ginny jumped at his voice; she hadn't been expecting him to speak. "At high noon, you will receive the Dark Mark, and become the youngest ever to enter into my ranks."

Ginny swallowed the lump that entered her throat. Would it hurt, to receive the ghastly symbol? She knew she shouldn't ask—couldn't—so she kept the wonderings to herself.

"But now, you will show me the powers you have found yourself capable of performing."

_Oh joy, I get to be the Dark Lord's magician now._

Ginny felt a cool hand wrap around her wrist, pulling her in the wake of the dark figure ahead of them.

"_Watch your thoughts_!" Draco hissed warningly. Ginny gulped. Draco had heard her, which meant— "The Dark Lord is a very skilled Legimens. Probably the best there will ever be. Just because you shield the thoughts from going out doesn't mean he can't get in."

Ginny had barely blown up two chairs when Voldemort had announced that he was bored, and requested to see something different. She swiped the quill off of a table near her and made a small scratch of the back of her hand, easily drawing blood. She raised her hand for him to see and stared hard at the cut, urging the blood to cease and her skin to weave together.

"What else can you heal with that?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh, I've never tried it with anything but small injuries…I tried a scrape once, but it didn't work."

"Perhaps the injuries must be fresh," he offered. "I suspect with proper training you could heal much larger injuries, quicker and while exerting less energy."

Ginny nodded obediently, hating that she had to stand before him and perform tricks.

"Is that all you can do?" his impatient tone angered Ginny.

"She can call people too, m'lord," Draco intervened. "And place her thoughts into others' minds."

"Demonstrate," he commanded. Ginny seethed inwardly. She _hated _receiving commands.

_Is that _all _you can do_? She thought cheekily, staring hard into his eyes, and feeling thoroughly sullied having doing so.

He let out a bark of laughter, dark and, amusingly, high-pitched. "A mighty cheeky girl. However did you manage to persuade her, Draco?"

Draco eyed Ginny warily, before turning to his Master. "I'm afraid I must only thank my lucky stars."

"That you should," he agreed quietly. "She is angry with me. Should I hope I've some stars watching over me?"

"Only if she decides to obliterate the table next to you," Blaise answered, smiling at Ginny.

"Look at me."

It was another command, but Ginny obliged without mentally stabbing him. Raising her eyes to his, she desperately hoped there were no more emotions swirling in her eyes. Ginny was quite unlucky.

"Your eyes," he stated, rising from his chair and crossing over to her slowly. "Could it be?" he ran a finger down her cheek and Ginny repressed a shudder. "You contain fire," he announced.

"I _what_?"

He ignored her question. "How could you not have seen it?" he addressed Blaise and Draco. "How could you not notice that she's elemental?"

"What? She can't be," Draco frowned as he stepped towards her. She glanced up to him and he saw fire flash through her eyes. He touched her cheek lightly, and drew his hand back quickly. Ginny touched her cheek. "You're _burning_," he breathed, his eyes digging though her own.

"What does that mean? 'I'm elemental'?"

"Many things, depending on the power you hold over your element. It could be that you can manipulate, perhaps even create, fire, _or _it could be that the fire rises simply with strong emotions. You _were _feeling intense annoyance a minute ago, were you not?"

Ginny nodded. _Fire_… "How do I find out?"

"You must be trained. No, not by Blaise," he denied her as she gave a glance to the boy. "By someone who knows about your powers better than anyone else; someone who knows how to use them," Voldemort looked over to Draco, who, it seemed, was currently trying very hard to keep his face expressionless. He glanced to Ginny. She didn't like seeing what was in his eyes. She couldn't even define it.

"And who would that me?" Ginny questioned softly, taking a steady breath.

"That would be me," an obnoxiously familiar voice sounded from the entrance of the tent.

Ginny cursed the fates that, for some bloody reason, have had it out for her throughout her whole life. "_You_?"

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I feel I deserve to be murdered for holding this so long! I've been very busy indeed and just haven't felt all that inspired, but it's a bit of a longer one, so there you have it!


	12. Girl All the Bad Guys Want

"Y-_you_?" Ginny stuttered in disbelief once more.

"Yes, I," he answered softly.

Ginny must have been wearing all she felt on her face, because Voldemort spoke swiftly. "He is the only one with the time and skills. You should feel honored to have a teacher such as him."

"Honored," Ginny breathed bitterly. "_Right_."

It seemed that her trainer had heard her, for he hissed: "You should learn to treat you superiors with respect," he stepped towards her menacingly. "You _will_ treat me with respect."

Ginny, feeling a surge of rebellion and defiance sweep through her, stared her new instructor in the eyes and thought cheekily: _Make me_.

She wasn't sure if he had heard her though, for he just stood and stared at her before turning to his son. "Come, Draco. We're finished here," he made to the entrance of the tent and stopped upon noticing that his son wasn't behind him. "Draco," he snapped impatiently. Draco turned his apologetic eyes from Ginny to his father. "We're finished," Lucius stated again. Draco nodded and followed his father out.

Ginny looked around and found herself alone with Voldemort. Blaise must have excused himself earlier.

"I'm not going with him," she informed Voldemort defiantly.

"You will do as I say," he countered softly. Ginny thought she heard him breathe an 'or else' at the end of the sentence.

"I'm not yours yet," she argued hotly. "Not for two more days. I needn't do your bidding until then."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Though bravery is admirable, you must be warned that your cheek will _not _be rewarded."

"You threaten the girl that's supposed to be this dark, powerful princess incarnate? Are you quite sure that's wise?"

Voldemort chuckled softly. The abrupt humor startled her, sending a chill down her spine. "Are _you _threatening _me_?"

Ginny knew she should stop. She didn't know why she wasn't stopping. She felt an undeniable urge to just royally piss off everyone, including the most evil wizard alive. In any case, she did _not _want to be his puppet, no matter what favor she was doing for Draco, and she most _certainly_ did not want Lucius anywhere near her unsupervised. _Or_ supervised, for that matter. "Perhaps."

He straightened and smirked. His menacing eyes narrowed slightly. "Very well," he put his wand to his temple.

They stood in silence for a few minutes until someone popped their head in. A _blonde_ someone.

"M'lord?"

"Draco. Our _princess_ is having trouble understanding her place here."

Draco gave her a furious glance. "I figured she might."

"Why don't you teach her her place?"

Draco looked at Ginny. Terror flooded through her instantly. She'd already had a taste of what he could do.

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She slept in a plain, white tent on a plain, white cot. She had an adjoining bath, a study and a full-sized kitchen at her disposal. Two bookshelves, completely packed full, a desk so big it seemed to swallow her, and the most beautiful chandelier she'd ever seen—but she slept on a plain, white cot.

She didn't sleep.

She laid on her stomach, turning automatically to find a more comfortable position before the lashes that covered her back screamed in protest and agony. She fell into a fantasy as she squirmed on her stomach; a fantasy that _didn't _involve her doing Voldemort's bidding, or being trained by Lucius Malfoy, or being punished for her tongue. A fantasy where Draco didn't whip her—that was where she found peace.

She awoke to a noise in her tent, which was when she realized that she'd been sleeping. She sat up slowly.

"What do you want?" her voice cut the stuffy silence. The figure paused its movements. She scanned the parts of the tent that were visible from her cot, but found no one.

"Lay down, Ginny, on your stomach."

So _that _was why she couldn't see the intruder: he was as black as the darkness around him. Recognizing the voice, she did as he asked.

"You'll need to take that shirt off as well."

Ginny nodded, though she knew that he probably couldn't see this action, and obliged, making sure to bring it around front quickly to cover her chest. She heard him move around as he grabbed a chair and sat next to her bed. He picked her wand up off of the nightstand.

"_Lumos_. Wow, Draco really did a number on you."

"He had to," Ginny replied, trying unsuccessfully to squash the resentment that was growing inside her. "Why are you doing this _now_, Blaise?"

"Because I'm not supposed to. I'm not going to fully heal them—just take away the pain."

Ginny closed her eyes as Blaise muttered a spell over her back. She felt a sensation spread through her wounds that was soothing and prickly all at the same time, and could almost see the path his wand was making.

"Why didn't you try to heal some of these?"

"I _did_ try. Nothing happened."

"Ah, well, with training," he shuffled around a bit, probably pocketing his wand. "Done," Ginny felt better. The tension that had been stored in her back was gone, and she could shift around fairly well without discomfort.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him turn as she sat up and slipped her shirt back on. "Thanks," she whispered; he merely nodded.

He sat there for a moment, and when it seemed he was about to leave, Ginny spoke. "I don't want to go with him."

"Go where?" Blaise laughed. "He's training you _here_, love."

"I don't want to be near him."

"I know. But it's the way it has to be. You'll never be able to do much of anything without a proper teacher."

"_You _were a proper teacher," Ginny argued.

"Ha! Are you kidding me? I was a lousy tutor, and I was even _worse_ at training."

"_I_ thought you were good."

"Well," he sighed. "The compliment is a nice thought, but I know nothing about elemental powers," through the ghostly light cast from Ginny's wand, Blaise studied her crestfallen features. "I would in a heartbeat, if I did," he touched her cheek softly. "_Believe_ me…I would _jump_ at the chance to spend so much time with you."

And just as suddenly as it had all happened before, they were kissing. This situation was reversed, however, as _Ginny_ was the one that had nearly caused Blaise to topple off his chair. He returned her kiss vigorously, pulling away only when he heard a noise outside the tent.

"_Nox_."

After a full five minutes of wary silence, Ginny decided to go out on a limb once more. "Can I tell you something?"

Blaise yawned. "Only if you move over."

Ginny laughed softly and did so, and Blaise collapsed on top of the bed, making sure to leave enough space for Ginny to have some moving room.

"I'm really scared," she confided in a shaky breath. She heard Blaise exhale slowly and felt the bed sink as she turned to face her.

"Have you talked to Draco about this?"

"No. I'm trying to be strong, I really am, but it's just _so_…_hard_," Ginny felt a warm tear trailing down her cheek to meet the pillow. "I tell him I'm not…I try to be brave and just accept what's happening. I mean I knew that I had to do it for him once he told me and I…I don't want to let him down."

"You're amazing, Ginevra Weasley," he brushed away another tear that had escaped from her hopeless eyes and leaned towards her and kissed her forehead lightly. "You are beautiful, and smart, and incredibly funny and talented. You've your own mind, your own thoughts, ideas, opinions…you're outspoken, no matter what the cost, and completely…_outrageous_," he kissed her forehead again, and then brushed his lips lightly over hers. "How could you possibly let _anyone _down?"

"I'm in love with him. I have to be with him. It's where I belong. Things are different when you're in love."

Blaise chuckled softly. "Says _who_, I'd like to ask?"

"I don't know, they just are."

"Ginny. I've been in love before, so I know a thing or two about the subject. You're right: things are different. Far different. Food tastes sweeter, air feels richer, sensations deepen and dreams become realities. Every thought has an emotion attached to it, one you can't name or even begin to describe. Every day I'm with you the world spins as fast as my heart beats, and when you're with him, a day is like an eternity. Knowing that it's possible for you to spend the rest of your life waking up in _his_ arms, fathering _his _children, taking _his _name…completely destroys me. Knowing that if you two are truly in love you'll spend forever with him instead of me. And if forever starts tomorrow, I might as well kill myself tonight."

"I'm sorry, Blaise. You're wonderful. Amazing. If it had been yours and not his house that I had broken into things would be different."

"Maybe they would be the way they should."

"I'm so sorry."

"I understand. I understand the need you feel to be with him. I know it's where you think you belong."

"Am I thinking right? I'm not sure if I can do it all…the killing and betraying…I'm not sure if I can do it in the name of love alone."

"Then you don't belong here."

Ginny's heart nearly stopped. Blaise sat slowly, giving Ginny a small, meaningful look before turning to the entrance of the tent.

Ginny tried to decide what to do or say. Smile? Wave? She cleared her throat and managed to issue a single, breathless syllable. "Hi."

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Yes, yes, very short I know, but every time you hit the review button you get a rock to stone me with, so there you have it.

Just to clarify incase some people didn't catch it: Ginny equals **_UNDER_** covers, Blaise equals **_ON TOP _**of covers


	13. Cruel to be Kind

"It's a party then," Blaise gave a nervous chuckle. "Why are you up so early?"

"I could ask the same of you," Draco responded softly, stepping further into the tent. "Why _are _you up so early?"

"Blaise came to heal me," Ginny answered for him.

"I was doing just the same," he came to a halt at the end of her bed. "But seeing as how it's taken care of…" he turned and left, not responding when Ginny called him back.

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_Something has to be done_… Draco thought as he paced the floor of his own tent. _Something must be done. She doesn't want to be here, and she shouldn't._

Draco felt flooded with guilt was again. It was nothing compared to what he would be feeling in a fortnight, he knew. Slowly, the impulsive plan unfolded in his mind, working out small quirks and giving him a damn good reason to get Ginny out of there.

_Something must be done_.

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"You're not concentrating. I can tell," Lucius swept to the left as he shot another stunner to Ginny, who promptly raised her hands, attempting to defend her.

"How do you suppose?" She questioned coldly, knocking the curse to the floor with more difficulty than usual.

"I've stunned you six times, Weasley. If you aren't going to focus then there's no point in teaching you. It is, after all, a waste of my time."

"Funny," Ginny scoffed as she gave up trying to deflect the newest curse and dove to avoid it. "You would think it would be a waste of your time if I _was _focusing."

"Who's to say it's not? _Stupefy_," Lucius Malfoy sighed and rubbed his temples as his pitiful student crumpled to the ground for the seventh time that morning. "_Ennervate_."

Ginny stood slowly. "Can we work on something else?"

His answer was another stunner that Ginny, thankfully, dodged.

"I'll take that as a no."

"_Stupefy_. We'll move on when I say we move on. Until then keep your mouth shut and your mind focused."

Ginny found it very hard not to glare at the man, and decided to show him up by actually deflecting the curses he was throwing at her.

When she had done 8 in a row, Lucius stopped. "Have you ever tried telekinesis?"

Ginny was still panting. He didn't give her more than two seconds to rest when he conjured upon a stick. "Move this."

Ginny, feeling a bit cheeky, walked over to the stick, picked it up, walked away a few feet and dropped it to the ground.

Her reward was a sharp backhand from Lucius. "Don't get smart with me," he hissed. "It won't be tolerated."

Sighing, Ginny sat a few feet away and stared at the stick, willing it to move to her. She repeated the word 'Accio' in her mind over and over, struggling to stop herself from mouthing the spell.

After a moment the stick seemed to twitch a bit. Ginny wasn't sure if it were because of her, or the breeze that just passed through the tent, or if she were simply imagining it. She glanced to Lucius to make sure it wasn't because he was laughing.

"Don't look at me, look at your target!"

Bottling her annoyance and resisting the urge of her incredible Bat-Bogey, Ginny glared at the stick. It rolled over. Towards her. Ginny smiled.

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"Red."

Ginny looked up from the book she'd been skimming.

"I want to talk to you."

Ginny nodded, closing the book and placing it on her desk.

"Want to walk?"

She nodded again, following him outside and across the silent campgrounds. She wasn't wearing her watch, but thought it to be quite late. The moon was high and full in the sky. Ginny thought of Lupin absently. Was he alone right now, locked away in some room? Was Tonks somehow with him?

"I hear lessons went well."

Surprisingly, Ginny found it hard to disagree. "Yeah, I suppose…" she trailed off, gazing up at the starry sky. "As well as it could have gone, at least."

Draco nodded. Ginny looked around when a low branch scraped across her head. Their aimless walking had led them into the woods. Malfoy didn't seem to mind; he kept on.

"What did you work on?"

Ginny snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, um. Everything. Well, we started out with basic stuff that I could kind of do. Then moved onto telekinesis and wandless defense, apparation…eventually working on my Elemental powers."

"How'd that go?"

Ginny grinned. "I have fire."

"Any dolt can see that," Malfoy returned her grin, but it faded quickly after a moment.

"L—um, your dad," Ginny corrected herself for no apparent reason. Was it so crazy to call her teacher by his name? "Um, he said that I might be able to manifest fire…eventually."

"That would be amazing."

Draco kept talking, adding to the conversation, responding her to comments, but he didn't seem fully there; as if his comments were automated responses given at the push of a button.

"Is um, is something wrong?"

He stopped. "Listen Ginny," he turned to her. She didn't like the look on his face, nor the fact that he wouldn't look her directly in her eyes. "See…you, you shouldn't be here."

Ginny didn't understand. "I want to be here," she told him softly.

"That doesn't matter," he dug a hold in the ground with the tip of his shoe, "because you _can't_ be here. You don't belong."

"I know," Ginny admitted. "I know, but I'll learn—"

"There's nothing to learn," he cut her off. "There's nothing to learn because you can't learn the things we know; the things we believe…"

"I'm…I'm confused, Draco."

He sighed, impatient and frustrated. "I got an offer, Red."

She stared at him. "An…offer?"

"From the Dark Lord."

"Oh."

He looked at the tree to Ginny's left and the scuffed up dirt floor. He looked up through the leaves to the moon and a spot right above Ginny's head. He looked anywhere but her eyes. "To replace my father. He wants me to be his top servant. Right-hand-man kind of thing."

Ginny nodded. "That's…good…isn't it?"

He let out a long breath. "Not for you."

Ginny took a step forward, ducking to gaze into his downcast eyes. "You don't belong here," he said again. His eyes seemed unsure, and resentful. "You don't belong here, and I don't want you here."

"You're lying," Ginny informed him. He looked up, pushing her away from him gently. "You can't even look me in the eyes."

He looked up, and his eyes were then angry and burning. "You should just go. Get out of here," he waved a hand forward through the forest, turning his back to her.

"You want me. You love me."

He turned to her after a moment of deafening silence. "I never said that."

"You said—"

"I never did. Never. And even if I had—" he paused, taking a deep breath, "even if I had, it wouldn't matter now. That was before."

"Liar," he scoffed at her accusation, fueling Ginny's annoyance with him even more. "Don't think I don't know you, Draco Malfoy. I do. You've never been able to not look in my eyes, and you've never tiptoed around confessing your feelings for me. Don't say you don't love me. Don't say it doesn't count just because you didn't use the word. You did far more than saying it, Draco. You _showed _me."

"Love means nothing to me. Not when there's a higher place to be. Get out. Just go. Go back to your friends, and your poor, filthy family and your precious Potter. Go and forget all this."

"I'll never forget it." Ginny felt tears running down her face. "Never."

He turned to face her again, his resolution growing stronger yet. His expression was a mixture of a glare and a smirk. "Good. You know what? Don't forget it. Remember everything. Remember it all and use it. Use it to defend your pathetic self. Use it when I'm killing you."

Ginny couldn't speak. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, but she felt that if she were to use it all that would come out would be her undigested supper. She turned on that last note, blinking her burning eyes rapidly and stumbling away through the thickly woven trees. She wiped at her face and found no tears staining her cheeks. Was it possibly she was so furious that her tears had evaporated right off her skin?

She willed herself faster as she heard a dark shout of laughter somewhere in the clearing behind her.

She would never know that it was really a painful sob of remorse as the blonde fell to his knees.

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She made her way out of the woods, trying to remember exactly where Draco had said they were. She hoped she wasn't far enough from the Headquarters to splinch herself.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she apparated.

She breathed a small sigh of relief when all of her appeared on a street in front of an empty lot, and once more as the house came into view as she stepped up the walk.

What countered her relief, however, was the memory of everything that had perspired at Hogwarts, and how much explaining she was going to have to do.

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I have withheld this from you for very very long, and I am the worst person in the world for it.


	14. Tears Don't Fall

Well here it is…the long awaited update…sorry bout that by the way

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"H-hello?" she stood uneasily in the entryway, looking around nervously, wondering where everyone was. She heard voices from the kitchen pause, and someone shuffle across the old floors to the hallway.

"Ginny!" it was her mother. "Honey! I thought you said you were staying at Hogwarts over break! However did you get home?" she laughed as she pulled her daughter into a one-way hug. Ginny mumbled something about apparating. Her mum withdrew. "Apparated? You can't apparate!"

She gave an inward groan as Ron, Harry, Lupin and her dad left the kitchen to see if they'd overheard correctly.

Ginny shifted her weight, forcing herself to look her mother in the eye. "Yes, mum. I can. And…there's something I have to tell you."

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He had stayed in the woods for sometime after she left him, sitting in the same spot, damning his sudden change of heart for forcing her away. He only wanted her with him again, and now that she wasn't near he wondered exactly why again it had seemed like such a bad thing for her to join them.

"She gone then?"

He didn't look up, but continued staring at the ground morosely. "Yes."

Blaise sat down next to him, sighing. "All for the best, I suppose. Going to miss that one though."

Draco didn't respond to this, but began scratching the ground with his toe.

"Look…sorry about before, right? I mean I was just trying to help. If I had known you were going to go to her—"

"Forget it."

Blaise nodded, letting out another sigh. "Miss her already, do you?"

He looked over, and Draco closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands before taking a deep breath and standing up. Shrugging and looking around nonchalantly he mumbled: "It never really mattered."

Blaise nodded and stood, following his mate slowly out of the dense foliage. He didn't need to argue the point or try to comfort him; he knew that not caring was Draco's special way of dealing with things that hurt him the most. It always had been.

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They'd all gathered around her in the study, which made it all the more difficult for Ginny to begin. Where _would _she begin? When she was captured? On the train to Hogwarts? When Draco contacted her? How could she explain to her entire family and various members of the Order that she had all these special abilities? That she'd been ready to accept the Dark Mark if only to be with Draco? That she'd fallen for the boy that tortured and manipulated her? That she'd come face to face with Voldemort more than once, talking with him of how she was to join them? That she'd trained with Lucius Malfoy?

How could she tell them that for the past four months she'd slowly drifted further and further away from what she used to be, eating up all the pretty lies that Draco Malfoy fed to her, right out of his hand?

She took a deep breath, glancing to the ground upon seeing all of their expecting eyes.

"I…" she trailed off, letting the syllable fade into the suddenly over-heated room. "I don't know how to start," she admitted.

"Is it that serious?" Ginny didn't have to look at her mum to know that she'd suddenly been constricted with concern for her only daughter. She felt guilt and regret stabbing her insides ferociously.

"I guess I should…no, first…" she battled out what she should begin with, eventually settling on the shocking but least heart attack-inducing piece of information. "I have…powers."

"Well you are a witch, Gin—"

"—It's only normal," the twins grinned.

Molly frowned at them. "Don't interrupt!"

"Not…_those_ powers…other powers…erm, stronger ones."

"Stronger?" Lupin leaned forward, studying her meticulously.

Ginny wished they would all stop saying things. The more she delayed the harder this was. "First off…I'm…an Elemental."

"You're _what_?" Molly gasped.

"How's that?" Lupin did a double take.

"That's incredible!" Tonks proclaimed.

"That's impossible!" the twins chorused.

Ron looked around. "What's an Elemental?"

"What is it?" Tonks inquired eagerly.

"F-fire," Ginny suddenly found it harder to make words come out of her mouth. "I can't really do much…we didn't train with them much and—"

"_Train_?" Harry stopped her. "Who trained you?"

She closed her eyes. Her answer came out far more quietly than she'd thought it would. "Lucius Malfoy."

A lot happened then:

Her mother made a noise that sounded like a shriek and a gasp combined.

Her father stood, giving her a furious sounding 'WHAT?'

Tonks gasped: "_How_?"

Lupin inquired: "_When_?"

And both of the twins stared at her incredulously, asking her "_Where_?" simultaneously.

Harry and Ron were muttering with each other fervently, and only Moody seemed to notice that Ginny was ready to knock herself unconscious.

"Please, everyone…" she stopped, noticing that her plea did nothing to subdue the group. She felt a blast of annoyance and anger blaze through her. "QUIET!" she roared. Everyone turned their attention to her silently. She glared at them, noticing vaguely that they were gaping at her openly.

"Your eyes…" Molly Weasley muttered, leaning closer. She made to take her daughter's chin, recoiling when she contacted her skin. "Your _face_!"

"Signs of her indeed being an Elemental," Lupin nodded, placing a hand on her mum's shoulder. "Now, what do you mean you were trained by Lucius Malfoy? How did this come about?"

"Well…oh," Ginny sighed, "this has all gone to hell." She ignored her mother's gasp and glare at her language. "I've gone and started in the wrong place."

She made sure no one was going to interrupt before continuing. _Do I tell them about the prophecy? _She wondered.

"There are other things I can do…telekinesis, kind of…and…well, I can sort of call people…I can heal minor injuries and do a bit of wandless magic…"

"Wandle—sorry," Ron glanced away sheepishly at Ginny's scowl.

"Aand…I've been taught how to apparate, which is how I got here."

No one said anything, which Ginny was grateful for. She took another deep breath, reminding herself to keep doing that occasionally, and continued. "I guess I should start with…the beginning of the school year."

She paused. No objections.

"After my…capture…I had a lot of dreams…about being back in the dungeons. About the curses they used on me, and how powerful Malfoy _alone_ is. I began having…doubts…which I relayed to Hermione one day in the library. M-Malfoy overheard me talking with her and approached me once she left. That was when it started."

She found it hard to use his surname, but thought it best not to start calling him 'Draco' just out of the blue.

"I met him in the North Tower that night, and we talked. Well…_he _talked…I listened. I don't know what came over me…it was just…his voice, and the things he was saying. It was like he was reading my mind, telling me all the things I thought about, and considered…and before I knew it he was offering to teach me…and before I knew it, I'd accepted."

She cleared her throat and took another breath, searching for more words. "Eventually he let it slip just _why _he was doing all of this…he was sent to get me. Voldemort sent him. He knew of my powers, and he wanted Draco to sway me over. He didn't want spells done. He wanted me fully committed, of my own free will."

There was no reaction to the slip of his name. Ginny wasn't sure if it was because no one noticed or really cared, but was glad for it at least.

"I…he told me about the stakes…their lives, and I…" that seemed to be as far as she could go with that thought. Yes, it was terribly sad that Draco's and his parents' lives were at stake because of it, but Ginny still didn't understand exactly why she'd agreed. "I don't know…pity or…compassion…something just made me so…_sad_ and I couldn't…I felt that I couldn't very well sit back and let his life be torn apart because of it."

Several minutes of silence ensued, before her father spoke, his voice shaky and soft. "That's not all, is it?"

Ginny felt tears stinging her eyes as she shook her head. "No," she heard her voice break, and felt warm tears traveling down her cheeks. "Not in the least."

She took a moment to calm herself, and stop the tears that forced their way out of her eyes. She wondered vaguely if they were tears of regret for letting her family down, or leftovers from what Draco's speech had inspired. She felt them well up again as she realized that she would have to tell of how she'd fallen for him, and what he'd just done.

"Blaise Zabini seemed to know about my powers, and he began training me, and everything happened so fast and Draco and I…we just sort of…_happened_ and before I realized how fast it was all going we were leaving Hogsmeade and I was meeting him and I just…I couldn't let Draco down so I…" she lost it again as the tears rebelled against her and traveled down her face once again. She had caught eyes with Harry and upon mentioning her and Draco as a romantic item his eyes had filled with hurt, and jealousy. She buried her face in her hands, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she repeated. The guilt and shame seemed to be burning through her from her families' eyes. She felt exposed, and sinful, and incredibly childish all at once.

"I went to this—this _site_, where it looked like they were all _camping out_ or something, and showed Voldemort what I can do. He appointed Lucius to teach me and…"

"Ginevra…" it was her mum's voice, soft and gentle and right in front of her. Ginny looked up to see her kneeling before her. "Ginny, let me see your arm."

Ginny shook her head, not realizing that everyone would assume the action was meant to refuse her mother. "I, I didn't…tomorrow…"

"Oh thank Merlin!" Molly Weasley gasped quietly, and many others let out sighs of relief.

After a moment, Lupin spoke. "So, and forgive the question, but, what are you doing _here_? Did you change your mind? Did you feel overwhelmed?"

It would have been easy to accept that as the reason. Then she wouldn't have had to explain that she was planning on turning against them all, and disgracing her family name and betraying the Order. It would have been easy to nod and say 'yes, that's exactly it'…but it wouldn't have been right. And Ginny gave a small sigh, knowing that she had to give the right answer, and hating the obligatory feeling.

"No. Draco and I went walking tonight…I know he was lying to me…I don't know why he…but he told me to go…he pushed me away and told me to leave. He said that I didn't belong there. He said he never really loved m—" her voice cracked, and she didn't feel the need to finish the statement. She was sure everyone knew what she meant, which she hated even more, because for awhile she thought that Draco was actually different than what everyone thought. For awhile she thought she'd gotten to him without even trying.

She heard someone moving, and her name being spoken, and felt a hand lifting her chin. She was looking into her daddy's eyes. She saw hurt, and concern. She hated that she put that hurt there. "Ginny, think very hard," he spoke slowly. "Did you say anything about the Order?"

It was an easy question: she didn't. She told them so by shaking her head 'no'. She knew that she didn't have to say anything until she were actually serving Voldemort, but she also knew that if she'd received the Mark that morning, she would have told them anything they asked. She would have given them names, and things that she'd overheard from meetings, and certain projects that she knew about. She would have sung like a blue jay everything she knew, and that's what she hated the most.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

They were standing in a circle, as they always did, but this time, in broad daylight, they wore no masks. He pushed past a few people and walked in, straight up to the man that had forced him to push away the only girl he'd ever loved.

"Where is she?"

"She's gone," he answered simply. Voldemort stared into his eyes. Draco forced himself to think about discovering her tent empty that morning, instead of giving her the boot the previous night.

"Idiot," he hissed. "Crabbe, Goyle, come here. Everyone else, get out."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

He opened his eyes. He was alone, lying on the ground where he had been all morning. He looked around. He was supposed to be dead. Where were Crabbe and Goyle? Draco wondered if they, being the morons they were, had thought he'd died when he'd only just passed out.

"Morons," he muttered, attempting to push himself into a sitting position. He froze when he heard voices.

"We left the body there. Where should we dump him?" it was Goyle, and he was coming back, with someone else.

Draco didn't hear where he was supposed to end up; he just collected himself as much as he could and focused on where he needed to be. He was gone before they turned the corner, leaving only the blood-soaked grass as evidence of being there at all.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Draco hadn't been sure if it was going to work. He didn't know if he could apparate to a person instead of a place, but his body arrived where he wanted it to, and he heard a startled scream before passing out completely.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Well evil me finally updated, but left you with a cliffy! Hahahaha! Review and I'll start writing the next chapter right away (that's a promise!) !


	15. Mad World

The room was pitch-black, save for a small candle that glowed next to him, illuminating Ginny's face. She was frowning, but her expression seemed to soften when she noticed he'd awoken.

"Hey, you," she greeted softly, moving something around. Draco felt a cool cloth press to his forehead gently. "Had me worried for a minute there; wasn't sure if you were _ever _going to wake up," she whispered, leaning further over him and rewetting the cloth with cold water.

"Huh?" he shifted slowly, and his muscles cried in protest.

"You passed out after you apparated and you've been out since. That was three days ago. You've been running a high fever for the better part of two days. Finally breaking though, I think."

"Where am I?"

"I've got a better question for you: How did you know where to find me?"

"I didn't," his throat felt dry, and sore. He swallowed and tried to clear it. "I just tried to apparate to wherever you were."

"Well you were lucky that I'd decided to go to my house to get some clothes, or who knows where you would have ended up."

"How do you mean?"

"You're um, at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. There are anti-apparation barriers surrounding the house. Here, let's take a look at your arm," she pulled his right arm up and over his chest, examining it closely. "There, it's much better. Much, much better."

"What was wrong with it?"

"Half the flesh and muscle was torn away from your humerus."

"My _what_?"

"Erm, this part," Ginny indicated, squeezing his upper arm. "But I gave you some potions and it's much better now. Almost completely healed. It's just…"

She looked over him uneasily, leaning over his face and checking his eyes and feeling his forehead.

"What?"

"You're still running a fever, and your eyes are contracted so much that…it looks like you don't even have pupils…are you seeing alright?"

"Everything's a bit out of focus…it's really hot in here, can you crack a window?" He felt as if he'd been thrown into an inferno. He was drenched in sweat, and the heat only seemed to be rising.

"The window is wide open, Draco," he felt her hand on his wrist, which promptly moved to his chest. "Your heart is racing. I can barely even take your pulse it's going so fast."

"Is that bad?" Things began to fade back into darkness, and Ginny's voice gave an eerie, low echo as she responded.

"It's really bad. I think I—Draco? Draco, can you hear me?"

His mind swam, trying to fight the haze to stay with Ginny. He didn't want to go away again. Random thoughts flooded his brain; about the day before, when he confronted Voldemort, and when Crabbe and Goyle were torturing him, and when Ginny had told him that he'd been out for three days. For a brief moment, his mind cleared as he made a connection.

"Ginny," he tried to feel for her arm, desperate to get her attention, unaware that he'd had it the whole time. "Ginny, get my mother. My mother…she's not…not safe. Bring her here."

He saw her nod, and heard her vow that she would.

"Hey," he grabbed for her arm again, pausing upon realizing that he already had a hold of it. "Don't hate me."

"I don't hate you!" she assured him.

"Just to protect you…"

"I know, Draco, I know. You protected me and I love you for it."

That was all he heard before the hazy darkness took him again.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

"Hey. Hey!" she called, running to the doorway. "Professor! Professor, come quick! Profes—"

"What _is _it, child?" Snape seemed to materialize out of thin air right in front of Ginny. She pointed inside to Draco's bed.

"Draco's fallen unconscious again," Snape stepped inside and Ginny followed him, standing at the foot of the bed. "He was fine for a few minutes, we were just talking, and then he looked like he was sort of zoning off, and he wouldn't answer me. He feels like he's _boiling_ and his heart is pounding so fast I-I couldn't even count his pulse! He seemed to be delirious, but he requested I get his mother straight away. He said she isn't safe."

"Well he let you get away, didn't he? So all of the Malfoys are in danger. Go downstairs, find Lupin. Tell him that he needs to send a group to collect his mother."

She nodded, racing out of the room and pounding down the stairs, not caring that it was nearly two o'clock in the morning.

She awoke the portrait of Mrs. Black as she jolted past, and her screams shook the entire house awake.

"Lupin! Lupin!" she called when she reached the first floor. She checked the kitchen first, and found many members rising to meet her. She'd forgotten that they were holding a meeting. "You've all got to get to Malfoy Manor straight away," Ginny gasped, heaving for breath.

"—FILTHY INGRATES! DESPICABLE BLOOD-TRAITORS!" Mrs. Black screamed in the background.

"You have to get Draco's mum, fast! It may already be too late!"

"—HOW DARE YOU SET FOOT INTO THIS HOUSE YOU BUNCH OF—"

Various members of the Order set about to making plans for the rescue straight away. After making sure that they were organizing themselves as quickly as they could, she bounded across the hall, passed the screaming, ranting portrait of Mrs. Black and up the two flights of stairs to Draco's room, where Snape was having a look-over at him.

"We should get him to St. Mungo's immediatly," Snape deduced after a brief moment.

"He won't be safe there!" Ginny protested. She moved to his side and looked down at him, pushing away the damp hair from his face gently. "I want him safe," she added softly.

"We all do," Snape sighed, "But neither you or I or any of us will be able to treat him. Quick and clever as you are, you aren't a mediwitch yet, Weasley. You still have a lot to learn and there's nothing else you can do for him."

Ginny's heart was pounding, the liquid flowing through her veins thirty percent blood seventy percent adrenaline. "Well...can't we bring someone here? Someone we know is safe?"

Snape shook his head at her again. "We haven't got the proper supplies here. It's taking a slight risk with St. Mungo's or attempting to tend to him ourselves with a greater risk that he'll die."

Ginny's vision blurred with tears. How could she be expected to leave his side when he was in this state because of her? "Fine. We'll take him. But I'm not leaving his side. Not ever."

Snape studied her for a moment and nodded.

"I mean _never_," Ginny said again as Snape began to hoist Draco up. "I don't care what those stupid mediwitches say, I'm not leaving the room."

"_I_ have no problem with that, Miss Weasley, it's the staff that you're going to have to convince, so save your breath. What of the others?" he questioned as they made their way down the stairs quickly.

"They already started organzing a rescue party to send to Malfoy Manor to retrieve Mrs. Malfoy. With any luck they'll be leaving within the next hour, if not sooner."

Ginny didn't like the look on Snape's face as they flew through the door and out into the cold night air. "What?" she finally asked sharply.

He turned to her, his face etched with dismay and regret. "It's probably already too late for Narcissa. I'm sure she was taken out shortly after the Dark Lord discovered your absence."

He apparated to St. Mungo's before Ginny, leaving her standing on the dark street for a few minutes alone, tears stinging her eyes, her heart in her stomach.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Holding true to her vow to never leave his side, Ginny sat with Snape in the chairs next to the hospital bed containing an unmoving Draco Malfoy.

"We shouldn't waste time."

Ginny didn't understand the statement, and looked at him quizzically.

"If you insist on staying here we shouldn't waste anymore time. We should be training as we speak."

"Training?" Ginny questioned.

"Though, I regretfully admit, I will not be as helpful to you as Lucius was, I am still qualified to train you and, therefore, suggest that we start soon."

Ginny nodded, giving a small, sardonic smile. "You know, in some crazy, twisted way, I'm almost going to miss training with Lucius."

Snape raised his eyebrows in surprise, studying her. "Really?" he sounded a tad more than skeptical.

Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes, "No!"

A small smile from Snape before his face turned serious once more. He stood, motioning to her to do the same. "Now, what exactly did you and Lucius take care of last?"

"Well..." Ginny thought on it. "Apparation, but I think I've got that down...we were working on telekenisis a bit...and my Elemental powers."

"Let's start with those," Snape suggested, moving some furniture about as to clear some space for them. "Can you manifest fire?"

Ginny shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she answered him. "No...not yet. I can only manipulate it a little bit--you know, make it get a little bigger, little smaller, that stuff. I can't touch it or create it. I _can_, thankfully, heal burns with my mind. I think Lucius knew I wasn't ready to touch it and made me anyway," a small smile played across Ginny's lips. He _would_, wouldn't he?

Snape was silent, studying her carefully, as if there were something about her that he missed earlier. Ginny, eager to fill the silence, continued. "Lucius says I'll be able to create it soon, though, if I keep practicing. He says someday I'll even be able to do it without exerting all of my emotion and energy."

"I suppose you can only do it now when you are feeling strong emotions?" Snape asked her after a moment. Ginny nodded. Snape seemed to be looking over her yet again, an expression on his face that she couldn't quite place. "Lucius seems to have a lot of faith in you."

That statement caused Ginny's brain to freeze, the words she'd been ready to speak to fill more silence were halted on the tip of her tongue. Lucius Malfoy had faith in her, and in some wierd way, Ginny swelled with pride in knowing that. "You think so?"

Snapped nodded. "Lucius is usually very skeptical of everyone that he teaches. To think you may have the potential for powers that great--"

"I have them," Ginny interrupted.

"What's that?"

"I have them," she repeated. "It's not potential...we _know_ I have the power...it's harnessing it that we were working on."

Snape seemed to be speechless. Ginny shifted her weight, uncomfortable under his studious gaze.

"It's a shame Draco sent you off so soon. Training with Lucius Malfoy would have done wonders for your abilities."

"I know," Ginny responded, looking away from Snape. She turned her attention to Draco instead. "He _really_ didn't want me there," she sighed.

Snape followed her gaze. "Apparently not."

"Fool," Ginny breathed, staring at him. "He just had to go and save me. Now look at him!"

"He's in the hospital; he's safe here. He'll get better--they know what to do."

Ginny was about to change the subject back to her training by asking where she should start, but was interrupted by a knock on the door before she could speak.

Snape bid them entrance, and in shuffled a disappointed and weary looking Tonks and Lupin.

Ginny looked at her watch. "That was fast."

"A fast way to die," Tonks retorted, dropping into a chair. "No, everyone's fine--everyone that went in, that is."

Ginny's heart sank. "You mean..."

"Narcissa Malfoy is dead. We found her in a cell in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor--shortly before a small group of Death Eaters found us," Lupin too occupied a chair heavily. That must have been some fight.

Ginny blinked the tears from her eyes. Draco had saved her from a life of hell, and she couldn't even grant his request to protect his mother.

"Interesting thing is," Bill had entered the room at some point, and was now leaning in the doorway. "We _did _manage to get someone else out safely."

"Well at least _someone_ isn't dead," Ginny gave a sigh of relief. She hated it when there were no survivors. "Who'd you rescue?"

Tonks looked at Lupin, who in turn looked to Bill. Bill shifted his weight uncomfortably, apparently trying to find the right words to answer her question.

"Well..." Bill started slowly. "It wasn't so much a rescue as..."

"A kidnapping," Tonks finished.

Ginny's curious eyes met Snape's who seemed to be just as lost as she was.

"Well? Who is it?" Ginny persisted after a minute of tense silence.

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

She'd nearly passed out of shock when Lupin finally relinquished the name of their captive, and despite her vow to never leave Draco's bedside, she soon found herself back the the Headquarters--alone.

She hadn't really planned this. She wanted some space, so she went walking about the hallways. Space and halls turned into air and streets, which quickly turned to an incessant need to see and talk to their "captive". She stood outside the door silently, simply knowing that it was the right one.

There were wards on the door, which she managed to remove without the use of her wand, to her pleasure. She opened the door and stepped in, silent and somber.

And there he stood, calm as the sea right before a storm, looking out the window with his back to the door. He turned slowly when he heard the door shut behind her. She didn't bother to lock it.

She strolled over and sat on the bed casually, and they stared at each other for a time before the silence finally got to her and she broke it.

"Hello again, Lucius."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

HA! I make you wait a year for an update and then leave you with that! How you like them apples?!? Seriously though, I really do apologize--sometimes I don't have time to write and sometimes I just need to write new, random things. I miss this story though, so I'm going to work hard on it now.

Okay, it's been a year, so maybe I'll make this chappie extra-long for you guys. I've been dying to find a way to get Lucius back in the plot, so I'm excited that I can finally write it!

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

Tense silence. Ginny should have been used to it by that point, but she didn't like that she couldn't make herself not be afraid of Lucius Malfoy.

"I didn't want to go, you know. Draco...he didn't want that for me," he turned back to the window. "Your son is an amazing person."

"As far as I'm concerned, I have no son," was Lucius' reply to that compliment. He turned to her, and by the fire in his eyes, Ginny could take a wild guess and say that Lucius contained Fire as well (a/n: I can't remember if I ever capitalized it earlier on...I don't know if I need to or not...).

Ginny resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "Oh, don't be that way."

"Narcissa is dead because of him. He knew it would happen, and he did it anyhow. That is the exact, idiotic action that is typical of Draco. Look first, but leap anyways."

"He was just trying to protect me," it came out quietly. At the moment, Ginny hated that it was her alive, conversing with Lucius instead of his wife.

"If Draco loved you so much he would have been smart enough to just let things alone. Everything would have been fine, he could have been with you. And now, what? I understand he's been hospitalized."

Ginny nodded, violently fighting the tears that stung her eyes. Worse than crying in front of Draco was crying in front of Lucius--especially since he was the one that had just had his wife snatched away from him. "Yes, they said he needs to stay for a few days before he can come back."

"Come back to what? A life in hiding? Pathetic," Lucius scoffed at the idea, meeting Ginny's eyes with their full force. "I would rather die with dignity, serving my Lord faithfully than be stuck here for the rest of my days, jumping at every shadow. Your little Order made a mistake--I was no prisoner in that dungeon."

"No mistake," Ginny sighed. "They described it more as a kidnapping rather than a rescue mission. I'm just sorry I didn't even think to get Narcissa out until Draco asked me to. Stupid," she breathed the last word, turning from Lucius to the window, studying the night sky intently. "I'm sorry," the words barely came out before she had to choke back a sob and wipe a tear from her cheek. "I'm so sorry," she wasn't even sure if he could hear her, or if he was listening at all.

Ginny took a deep breath and faced him--and nearly started crying again. One look showed Lucius Malfoy gazing out the window as well, though he probably wasn't even looking out there. The look of sorrow and remorse was odd on his hard features, and Ginny guessed it was the most expression the man could even show.

"Lucius?" she had to break the silence, though part of her knew she should just leave the man be for the time being, she was itching to ask him. "I know you don't want to be here...I know you'd rather be serving the Dark Lord or...dying, or something, but...as long as you're here..."

Lucius looked at her when she paused, waiting patiently for her to continue.

Ginny took another deep breath. "I would really be honored if you would continue training me," she folded her arms across her chest and looked down, feeling vulnerable for some strange reason. She let a minute of silence pass before daring to meet his eyes again. When she looked up, Lucius was wearing a small smile, studying her intently.

"I would be honored to teach you," he gave her a slight bow before smirking and adding on a sarcastic, "_Princess_."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

When she returned to the hospital, Draco was awake. She only had to glance at the tense, uncomfortable expression on Tonks' face to know that they hadn't yet informed him of his mother's demise. _Probably shoving the task off on me_, she sighed, mentally scowing at the bunch.

She took the closest seat to his bed, which appeared to have been left empty on purpose, for her. Taking a deep breath, she took Draco's hand as she smiled softly. "Hey, you," she breathed softly, brushing the hair off of his face. "Awake again I see."

Draco just smiled at her, and Ginny wanted to die.

"Look, Draco," she started, attempting to keep her voice strong for him and failing miserably. "We're kind of holding your father hostage at Headquarters at the moment. He...he's agreed to see you when you get back."

"Angry I suppose," Draco scoffed. "He _would_ get angry at me for saving the girl I love from a life she doesn't deserve."

Ginny wished she could tell him to shut up so she wouldn't start crying again. "It's not just that," she took a deep, shaky breath before continuing, already feeling hot tears stinging at her eyes. "It's your mother. We...we didn't make it in time."

Draco's face appeared to go blank before he nodded in understand, pain visible only in the smallest, deepest part of his eyes. _Like father, like son_, Ginny thought sadly. _Neither of them can even bring themselves to cry in front of others because they always have to be so tough_. "I'm so sorry, Draco."

"It was a choice I had to make. I knew what the outcome would be."

"I bet you didn't even expect to live, did you?" It was Tonks that spoke, and all eyes were drawn to her. The metamorphmagus in question blushed at the attention.

"No, I really didn't," Draco replied softly. "So what now?"

Ginny frowned. "What do you mean?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I mean what happens now? Once I'm better we start working, right?"

Ginny's frown deepened with her confusion. "What? Working?"

Draco scoffed at her. "There _is_ a war still going on, isn't there?" Astonished silence met him. "Oh, what--don't tell me I slept through the war!"

"Draco..." Ginny didn't know what to say.

"So what's first, then? The prophecy, I suppose. We should start going over that straight-away. We _must_ have misinterpretted it, right? Otherwise none of this would have happened, right?"

"I...I guess," was all Ginny could stutter out. The others were staring at her, and she didn't like it.

"I was thinking: He Who Lives could also mean Voldemort, couldn't it? I mean he _was_ pretty much raised from the dead--I think that qualifies, right?"

"I...I guess," Ginny repeated nervously. Still staring. She wanted to tell them to stop, but her brain started running at full capacity a split second later; if the prophecy had been interpretted wrongly, that would mean that she wasn't supposed to betray the Order and fight Harry--just the opposite, actually. "Yeah!" she said after a moment. "You're right! I mean the way it was written, it really _could_ go either way: the double meaning of He Who Lives, "he who wields her wields success", it never really says _who _wins, does it?"

Lupin had stood and was making his way closer to them. "Recite that prophecy again, would you, Ginny?"

Ginny did, and Lupin concluded quickly that he agreed with them.

"This changes everything," Ginny murmured, shaking her head in amazement.

Draco looked at her, a small smile playing across his lips. "I've gotten used to change."

oO oo oO oo oO oo oO

There, happy? My wrists and fingers actually _ache_ from typing all night--so there you have it! I promise not to make you wait another year for the next chapter!


	16. Six Feet from the Edge

"Ow!" an irritated cry of protest and pain broke the silence.

"Oh, come off it!" was the reply he was given.

"Now look here, Potter: I'm an injured man, and I can't have you shoving passed me as if I wasn't nearly beaten to death recently!"

Ginny smiled as she listened to the two bicker; much had changed concerning Draco Malfoy, but Ginny figured his relationship with Harry would always be the same: constant fighting.

"Harry! Draco! Quit that bickering now!" they must not have taken her seriously the first time she scolded them, because Mrs. Weasley kept on, her voice growing louder and firmer. "I'm telling you! I want peace in this house, and if you two wake up Mrs. Black I'm going to be in a right state!"

As if on cue, the portrait of Mrs. Black snapped awake and started screaming.

"Now look what you've done! Your rooms, the both of you!"

"FILTHY MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD-TRAITORS! NEVER IN MY DAY--"

Draco and Harry's terrified eyes met once before they spat out a quick, "Yes, ma'am!" and bolted to their rooms.

"YOU SET FOOT IN THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! HOW DARE YOU! YOU SHOULD ALL BE--"

"Oh, shut up, you old hag!" Molly Weasley screeched as she yanked the curtains back over the portrait. She turned to her daughter, chest heaving and eyes looking positively fierce.

Ginny was agape. She had seen her mother at her worst (thanks to Fred and George) and _never_ did Ginny see her throw a fit such as that. "Mum," she managed out.

"Ginny dear, would you go put on some water? I think I'll have a nice tea."

"Erm--sure. Right," Ginny spun around and walked to the kitchen quickly. What in Merlin's name had just gotten into her mother? Was she so stressed about their current situation that she finally went completely batty?

Ginny was putting the kettle on the stove when her mother walked in and sat down at the table. When Ginny looked over, she saw only a mess of red hair, her face in her hands. Ginny wasn't sure if she was crying or if it was simply exhaustion.

"Mum?" she walked over slowly and sank into the chair across from her mother. "Are you alright?"

Molly brought a tear-streaked face out of her hands and smiled at her daughter. "Fine, dear, just fine. Everything's just kind of catching up with me, you know."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"What?" it was obvious that Ginny didn't get her I-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about act from her mother; she was simply terrible at lying.

"Mum, what is it?"

Molly Weasley sniffed and locked eyes with her daughter.

_You can tell me anything. _It was the first time Ginny intruded into her mother's mind, and the woman started visibly.

She sniffed again and sighed. "You've grown up far too quickly," she accused her daughter. The tea kettle whistled, signaling tea-time, and Ginny promptly stood and retrieved two cups for them. "Haven't heard from Percy lately, is all," she finally spoke when her daughter's back was turned to her. Ginny continued her tea-making silently. "I mean we've been at odds for awhile--you know that-but he usually _checks in_ at least, to let me know hes still--" Molly's voice died and Ginny placed a reassuring hand on her mother's shoulder as she set her tea in front of her.

"He's fine, mum. You know Percy--he's just--" Ginny didn't really know how to finish, "being Percy."

"Tea?" a voice questioned from the entryway of the kitchen. Ginny glanced over to Lucius Malfoy; it had been her idea to let him out of his room, since he had seemed amiable enough in the past week. He _had _listened to and accepted Draco's apology after he had been released from St. Mungo's. _In truth_, Draco had told her, _that might have been the easiest conversation Ive ever had with him. I think I have you to thank for that._

She gave him a small smile and nodded to the table, indicating he should sit. "Yeah, here," she pushed her own untouched cup towards an empty chair and left her mother's side to make another cup for herself. Molly Weasley cleared her throat and composed herself as their long-sworn enemy took a seat across from her. Not having much to say to him she gulped down her scalding tea silently and excused herself, thanking Ginny.

Ginny replaced her mother's body in the chair across from Lucius, pulling the sugar cup towards her and adding a few spoons to her Earl Grey. She was stirring the sugar in when she realized that her company was staring at her. "What?" Ginny questioned self-consciously.

Lucius Malfoy looked about them, ensuring their privacy before he leaned over the table and spoke softly. "I may know something about your brother," he informed her.

Ginny felt her heart plunge into her stomach icily. _No, no, no, Merlin please no--_

"Calm down," he bit out, obviously annoyed with her presence in his head (she was _really _going to have to get her emotions under control). "He's not dead. Quite the opposite actually. Shortly after you left the Dark Lord requested his presence. He wanted something that would entice you back to us."

Ginny's mouth was so dry she couldn't speak, so she took a sip of her tea. It washed down her throat hotly, but her mouth remained dry and unusable. "He's--okay?" she finally choked out. She felt like she was on the edge of a panic attack. A _big _panic attack. That monster had her brother. How could she not have seen that coming?

Lucius scoffed. "He's finally getting everything he wants; Power, recognition, respect..."

Ginny's hands clenched her tea cup as he spoke. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath through her nose. "He's going to join?"

"It would seem that way," Lucius nodded, sipping at his own tea.

"I can't let that happen," Ginny stated lowly, glaring at the table between them. "I will _never _let that happen."

"There's not a lot you can do about it," he informed her matter-of-factly. "Could already be too late."

"That will _kill _my mum!" Ginny hissed none too softly. "Ow, _shit_!" she cursed as the tea overflowed from her cup and burned her fingers. She hadn't even noticed the beverage boiling in her hands, she was so angry. She stared at her fingers and willed the blisters that were beginning to form to go away. After a moment the only evidence of her accident was pink-tinged skin and tea on the table. She stood and cracked open the window above the sink, grabbing a rag on her way back to the table. She concentrated on deep breaths while she cleaned up her mess. Finally, she took her seat once more and closed her eyes. _Draco, kitchen_, she commanded with her mind. A moment later, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs quickly. "Is there anything we can do?" she asked, turning her attention back to Lucius, who had been watching her silently, interest hidden on his features. She wouldn't have even known it was there had she not known Draco so well. _Like father like son_.

"Everything okay?" Draco asked hesitantly from the doorway. Ginny turned to him.

"No," she answered honestly. "No, we've got a problem."

**oOoooOoooOoooOoooOo**

After filling Draco in on what Ginny had just learned, she asked Lucius again. "Is there anything we can do?"

Lucius inhaled deeply and raised his eyebrows. "Go back to him."

"That's not happening," Draco hissed before Ginny could even open her mouth to speak.

She sent him an annoyed glance and, ignoring his statement completely, cleared her throat and asked: "What are the odds of me getting him out of there?"

"The better question," Lucius pointed out sagely, "Is: what are the odds of your brother wanting to go?"

Ginny hated that she actually had to consider that. _Percy isn't that weak-willed, _she thought, half sure and half convincing herself. _But he always was a prat when it came to respect and all that. Shit. Shit, fuck, piss and bollocks! _She attempted to relieve some steam mentally, and forced a calming breath as Draco's comforting hand fell on her shoulder. Ginny blushed, embarrassed. There weren't a lot of barriers between her and Draco's minds, but she sure hoped Lucius hadn't just overheard her little fit. "I need some air," she claimed, standing quickly enough that her chair scraped against the kitchen floor with an ugly sound.

She ignored her cloak on the way out the door, and glanced down the block to make sure there were no prying eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder just as she Apparated away.

**oOoooOoooOoooOoooOo**

She and her company were deposited in the woods. She ignored him completely and started furiously obliterating trees left and right directly upon arrival. Stupid, bloody _wanker_, she hissed as she took her rage out on the poor forest. "Of all the low, dirty--using my _family_ against me!" she screeched, picking up a boulder telekinetically and hurling it into the dark depths of the trees.

She felt the hands on her shoulders once more and shrugged them off angrily, jerking out of his grasp and setting the closest tree on fire with a roar. _That_ stopped her in her tracks. She stared at the burning oak with a mixture of disbelief and satisfaction. So she _could _conjure fire--she just had to be pissed enough. She took a few deep breaths and wiped away the tears that were stinging her eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby, I just--" she started, turning around to face who she _thought _was Draco; she fell into embarrassed silence when she came face to face with Lucius. "Oh--um--_golly_," she breathed, not quite knowing what to say. "Sorry you had to see that. I--I thought you were Draco."

He nodded, pulling out his wand and extinguishing the fire before it could spread and burn the forest down. "Understandable," was all he said.

She sighed and fell to her bum in the center of the clearing she had just created. She trailed her fingers through the dirt, realizing that Lucius would probably find it very improper and low that she was playing in filth. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked, looking up to him. "How am I supposed to fight him?" she felt tears swelling up in her eyes once more and turned away as they leaked out and rolled down her cheeks.

"You can't," was all he said to that.

"What's the point in having these bloody powers if I cant even protect my family?" she sniffed, wiping her tears away furiously.

"It's hard to protect people from their own idiocy," Lucius reasoned. "Trust me, I've tried."

Ginny felt a small smile creep over her lips. "Draco?"

"Indeed," he confirmed. He then did something that shocked Ginny to the core: he gave a small sigh, and crouched down to _join her on the ground_. _How very un-Malfoy like,_ Ginny thought sardonically and Lucius gave a small huff of amusement. "Draco was, quite literally, obsessed with you from the beginning. I saw it early on, even if he didn't realize it until later."

Ginny turned to her trainer, astonished. "How did you know?"

Lucius gave a bark of laughter. _"Please_. There are only three reasons someone would visit the same captive multiple times a day, and its either because you're interrogating them, you fancy them, or you're very deranged and just enjoy torturing people _that much_. Draco knew there was no information that could prove useful, and related though they may be he's a far cry from Bellatrix Lestrange."

Ginny nodded slowly. "And what did _you _think about that?"

"I was furious, of course. Even knowing who you were, what you could be capable of, what you could do for us--it's not _normal_, you see, to fall in love with a blood-traitor, and deviating from the social norm is a very risky thing to do--_especially _when you're in the ranks of the Dark Lord."

The sat quietly for a little while. The wind crept through the trees and wrapped around Ginny's unprotected form. She shivered and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Go back to the Order without me," Lucius told her. "I'll see what I can do about getting your brother out of there."

She thought on that for a moment, shaking her head slowly. "I don't trust you," she stated blankly, and Lucius chuckled.

"No reason to, I guess. Very well then, let's be heading back. You'll get sick out here."

Ginny scoffed. "You don't care about that. Whats your angle, Lucius?" she asked him flatly.

"Just trying to get home."

"That _home_--that _family_ of yours, had you locked in your own bleeding dungeons," Ginny pointed out. "And you'd still _be _there--or _dead_--if it hadn't been for _my _family."

Lucius stood and brushed off his robes, sneering at her. "Don't think you can give _both _of the Malfoy men their redemption, Weasley. You're not _that _powerful."

She stood also, straightening and staring him hard in the eyes. "What could you do?"

"Tell the Dark Lord there's still hope for you. Tell him that your brother isn't a good enough ploy to get you to return. Maybe I can get him to consider a negotiation with you," he never broke eye contact with her and Ginny thought over that quickly.

"You're not lying," she said, and he shook his head. Ginny swallowed the lump in her throat. "They wont be happy with me--Draco least of all," she sighed. "You've no reason to help me, Lucius, but I'm hoping you will anyways," she too began to brush herself off. "And were things to go south I just want to tell you now that I appreciate all the help you've given me in training, and," she attempted to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. "And that um--I'm deeply in love with your son," why was her vision blurred by tears? "I think I could spend the rest of my life with Draco, and uh--I-I would feel honored to be a part of your family."

Lucius said nothing, but gave her a single nod before stepping back and Apparating away--likely back to Voldeshmort's compound. Ginny let the tears spill as soon as he was gone and wiped them away quickly. That had felt an awful lot like a goodbye. She already blamed herself for not getting to Narcissa on time--she didn't want to be responsible for sending Draco's father to his death as well. _Though, _she thought with a small smile, _Lucius _is _quite the slippery one--I'm sure he can take care of himself._

She wasn't sure how far she could beam her thoughts into someone's mind, but it had worked all the way across Hogwarts before. _Please stay safe, _she thought out to Lucius Malfoy, wherever he had ended up. _For your son. _With one more deep breath, Ginny closed her eyes and Apparated back to the Order alone.

**oOoooOoooOoooOoooOo**

To say that things went well when Ginny returned home wouldn't be quite accurate. In fact, to say that things went terribly would still be an understatement.

First there was Draco, who told Ginny that he loved her, but she was a moron if she actually trusted his father to do _anything _for her now that he was free.

Then there was her mother, who screamed at Ginny (so loudly in fact that _Mrs. Black _actually yelled at _Molly_ to shut her trap) about releasing enemies willy-nilly.

Next there came her father, who berated her for releasing a captive that knew the whereabouts of the Headquarters.

Lupin and Tonks cornered her in the kitchen, wagging their fingers at her for setting a man like Lucius Malfoy free. When Ginny pointed out that he had been staying at the Headquarters for the past week without a bit of trouble Tonks finally relented and pulled Lupin's attention elsewhere.

Fred and George lured her to the study, where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Bill waited to ambush her. It was only by her lucky stars that Draco had managed to tail them into the study and stood nearby her protectively, jumping at any chance to fight for her.

"What were you thinking, Gin?" Bill asked her, his face aghast. "He could have killed you the second you two Apparated away!"

"He's not stupid," Draco spat quickly. "He wouldn't lay a finger on her unless under direct orders. As far as we know now he still wants her."

"Come off it!" Ron took a menacing step towards Draco. "Of course you're going to protect a fellow _Death Eater--"_

"Ron!" Ginny hissed. "Shut up! I think I know Lucius Malfoy a little better than you--"

"I know that he's a sleazebag!" Ron shot back.

"He's a wretched person, Ginny," Hermione finally spoke up. She looked as though she didn't really want to be talking. "Remember what he put you through? He cant be trusted."

"Things are different now," Ginny claimed, crossing her arms and raising her chin.

"Nothing's different, Gin--"

_"I'm_ different!" she shouted, and she was dimly aware of a burning anger building in the pit of her stomach and flooding her veins. She bet her skin was pretty warm to the touch.

"She's right," Harry agreed softly from near the fireplace. _"That_ she's right about. She's completely different," he finally met Ginny's gaze with an icy stare.

"For the better--" Draco cut in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," the twins chorused.

It was then that everyone seemed to start talking at Ginny at once. Overwhelmed and upset that no one would let her speak she threw her hand to the dark fireplace and with a screech worthy of Molly Weasley for _everyone_ to shut up, the fireplace blazed to life.

The room grew silent for a moment in which all eyes were fixed on Ginny. She shifted uncomfortably under all of their amazed eyes and took a deep breath. "Just _listen_," she sighed. "This morning Lucius shared a bit of information with me--he said that after I split Voldemort called for Percy--and Lucius seemed to think he was there. _Is _there. Now." She raised a silencing hand when it appeared people wanted to do the talking thing again. "It's--a very tempting offer for--" Ginny swallowed, "Someone of our up-bringing," she could tell her attempt at trying to put it delicately didn't go very well (except on Draco, who gave a soft snort of laughter).

She shook her head and sighed again. "I love Percy, I do. He's my brother but--" she hesitated, her eyes diverting to the fire she had created. "We have to face the fact that he's weak-willed. First with the Ministry, and now, it would seem, with Voldemort. All he's ever wanted was power and respect and, like it or not, Voldemort can give that to him."

She gave a quick backwards glance to Draco for reassurance. Was that a look of _pride _on his features? She straightened and turned back to her siblings (Harry and Hermione might as well have been flesh and blood to her for all Ginny was concerned, though things appeared quite shaky with her and Harry at the moment). She tried to wipe her face clean, tried to slide into that mask that Lucius and Draco had perfected. "Mum and dad don't know," she continued. "I didn't want to worry--" she hesitated and shook her head. "No, that's a lie," she confessed immediately. "I just didn't want to tell them."

Hermione finally decided to break the silence, "But if its true then--"

_"If_ its true," Ginny interrupted quickly, demanding Hermione's silence with her stony gaze, "_If _Percy has already gone to him--then there's nothing we or the Order can do about it."

"There's something _you _can do about it," Harry said coldly. Ginny turned to him slowly, staring at him _hard_. She vaguely felt Draco's hand on her lower back, but wasn't quite sure if it was to reassure her or calm her fury. "Your _trainer_ said so, didn't he?" he sneered at her. Obviously Harry was still having some problems adjusting to the new Ginny.

"First off, I wouldn't listen to _anything _my father has to s--"

"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry bit out, his eyes never leaving Ginny's. "I don't give a flying fuck what you have to say. Aren't you supposed to have all these _grand powers_?" he questioned Ginny. "Can't you just go _take _him, _Princess_?"

She instantly felt the cloud of confidence and authority that had been slowly building around her vanish. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Ginny breathed, feeling slightly hurt by this new icy demeanor he had towards her. "Sure he'd been difficult from the get-go of all this, but things were getting ridiculous, _especially _seeing as how Ginny had already repented and was only trying to make things right. She felt her blood boiling in her veins and half-attempted to reign in her anger. "Lucius will help me," she swore to them, nodding at her own statement. "He will," she said again, but she didn't know if it was _them _she was trying to convince or _herself_. She only knew that he _had _to help her. He _had_ to, because he was her only hope. If she went back, she knew she wouldn't be returning.

Draco's hands covered her shoulders and he pulled her back gently towards the door. "He will," she told Draco again in a whisper, tears brimming up to her eyes for what felt like the millionth time over break.

"Okay," he said softly in her ear as he guided her away from her hostile family, who were all staring at them silently. Hermione seemed close to tears herself. Ron looked as though he wanted to pummel Malfoy for laying hands on his sister. Harry kept Ginny's gaze until she was in the hall and being spun around by Draco and pushed towards the stairs.

**oOoooOoooOoooOoooOo**

Draco deposited Ginny in her room and had come back a short while later with some fresh tea for her.

He sat down next to her on the old bed, handing her the cup. "I couldn't remember how much sugar you liked, but then I remembered that you're crazy for drinking sugar in Earl Gray anyways, so I chose three."

Ginny allowed him a half-smile as she took a small sip of the steaming tea. "You got it right," she nodded, and he mirrored her smile. "Thanks, by the way," she nodded to him, "For your help in there. I don't know if I could have survived that without you," she admitted, a slight blush filling her cheeks.

"You did very well," he argued. "You were really getting into your role back there."

"My role--what are you saying," she asked him sardonically, raising an eyebrow, "That I was channeling Desdemona?'

"No," Draco shook his head, smirking as he laced his fingers with those of her free hand. "That was _you_," he brought his other hand up to tilt her chin up and then brushed some hair behind her ear. "You've become very strong," he breathed.

"I don't feel strong," she whispered.

_"I _feel it. I feel it coming off of you in _waves_. You kept sixty percent of your family _quiet_. When you talk, people want to listen to you."

Ginny took a steadying breath. Setting her tea down on her nightstand, she moved over to the window. Pinks and purples were still fighting for the sky, and the moon was just beginning to become visible. "I know the truth," she said softly. "I've known--I didn't want to face it," she gave a small derisive huff at her own foolishness. "I thought, Be positive, Ginny. Have faith. Fate is mysterious. Stupid," she shook her head and gave him a small, ironic sort of smile.

Draco watched her silently from the bed.

"Desdemona was the Dark Princess," she continued. "Harry is He Who Lives. I belong at that camp. Voldemort is going to bring something bigger to this world, and I have to help him."

Draco finally stood and joined her at the window, circling his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, gazing out at the night with her.

"I _have _to get Percy out of there. I threw faith in Lucius but he'll be lucky enough to remain in good favor. It has to be me," Ginny turned around in Draco's arms so she could look into his eyes. "I'm going back."

"We go back to school tomorrow, Gin," Draco pointed out. "Think about this: if you go back there he'll never let you leave."

"He can't stop me," Ginny breathed, staring off in the distance, thinking. "I'm drawing my powers up faster and faster. If I meditate for the rest of the night and go _later_ I'll be strong enough to convince him to release Percy."

"Say you do," Draco started, trying to talk some sense into her. "Say he _does_ send Percy out. What are you going to do then? Hope you can Apparate faster than he can draw his wand?"

"Then I negotiate," Ginny pointed out. "After school is done, first day of summer break, I'm back at the compound."

"This is suicide," he argued, shaking her shoulders lightly to pull her attention back to his face. He _had _to convince her to put this off.

"Well my brother is an idiot prat, and there's nothing I can do about it except save him from this _mistake_," Ginny spat, pulling out of Draco's grasp. "So _that's_ what I'm going to do," she began pacing about the room. "And I wish you could help me, but you had to get all righteous on me and push me away, which only served to get _you _thrown out of Voldemort's good graces and, if I might add, set us up for all this shit!" she finally stopped and looked back to him once more.

He was still standing by the window, glaring at her coldly. "You forgot the part where I destroyed my father's career and got my mother murdered."

Ginny felt her shoulders slump, that aggressive, charismatic power that she seemed to be pulling from somewhere disappearing once again. She went back to Draco and dropped her head to his chest, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment his arms encircled her body, drawing her close to him. "I'm sorry, baby," she whispered against his hard body. "I didn't mean--"

"It's okay," he stopped her, kissing the top of her forehead. "I know I messed up, but I was just trying to protect you."

"Fate will find a way," she quoted. "Isn't that what you said?" he remained silent. "If everything's fated, then fighting is pointless, isn't it?" she took his hands and started pulling him towards the door.

"Ginny--" he started when she opened the door, but Ginny shook her head.

"I need to meditate for awhile. I have to be ready," she pushed herself onto her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on Draco's lips. "I love you. Ill try to get you back in. I know I could handle everything a lot better if you were with me."

He sighed and entered the hallway. He stopped her when she began to shut the door, leaning his upper body toward her. "I love you, Red," he told her.

She granted him a smile and finished closing the door, making sure to lock it as well.

**oOoooOoooOoooOoooOo**

**A:N/ Well--yes--I know. You don't have to say it. I waited for two years to update this, and I am utterly ashamed. I can't promise that things will pick up from here on out, but I did try to make this one extra-long and full of drama for you. Feeling a little rusty with HP fanfics right now (been focusing on Heroes and Batman) so let me know if I'm still doing justice to this very old story.**

**I apologize deeply for the wait, and I hope that my once-loyal readers are still that, even though Ive been a horrible person. I also understand that I've lost all review-begging rights, so don't do it unless you really want to. =) (But it would be beneficial to YOU if I knew that this was worth continuing).**

**I also apologize for any technical errors... when I uploaded this doc fanfic decided to re-work it a bit and delete every apostrophe, hyphen and quotation mark in sight, so if I missed something on my way through editing... you know what I mean. =)  
**


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